Mary Charlotte Sanchez – V.J. Guinan Presidential Scholarship Recipient
An active member of St. Angela Merici Catholic Church, Bowman lives out her faith through consistent involvement in parish ministries, service events and mentoring programs. Her commitment to growth extends to both the intellectual and creative realms: she is teaching herself additional languages through Duolingo and shares her artistic gifts as the creator of “The Farmyard Funnies,” a comic strip featured on Tapas with hundreds of subscribers and thousands of views.
As part of her community service initiative for this full-tuition scholarship, Bowman has proposed and will lead a series of CPR training sessions for the University, its surrounding community and the greater Houston area – an offering that blends her passion for healthcare with a tangible work of mercy.
Bowman illustrates a wonderful combination of academic success and storied creativity. Read a Q&A with MAX Studios Bridget Richardson below.
Bridget Richardson: Tell us about your desire to serve others through healthcare.
Hannah Bowman: God has always taught us to love one another as He loves us, and to me what that looks like is taking action just as He did when He was here on earth. Healthcare, to me, seems to be one of the most direct and impactful ways I can fulfill this ideal to serve others, which is why I chose to make it my primary profession.
BR: Tell us about why you serve at St. Angela Merici and all the things you’re involved with. Why do you stay involved at church? HB: I serve and stay involved with St. Angela Merici Catholic Church as a way for me to keep growing in my faith. As for some of the things I am involved in, I actually gained my confirmation through their amazing OCIA program and thereafter was involved with volunteer work through their Faith Formation “Beyond” program.
BR: How do you merge your love for biology and your more creative side with your comic strip? Why is that important to you to do both?
HB: I find it very important to combine my love for biology with my creative side because healthcare at times requires creative solutions to patient’s needs, much like what this project could potentially achieve. I also find it essential to combine the two because my creativity makes things more memorable and easier to teach especially in a field where memorization is often key.
BR: Tell us about your initiative to lead CPR training sessions for UST.
HB: My initiative aims to mitigate the deaths associated with cardiac arrest. I have found in my research that hesitancy to perform CPR is what can allow the otherwise mostly preventable event of death during a cardiac arrest. By making CPR classes more accessible through collaborations between the communities of Houston city, starting here at UST, the Compassionate People’s Response will have the means of proper resourcing, funding and community involvement to combat what takes this city’s beloved every year.
BR: What made you decide to choose University of St. Thomas?
HB: I decided to choose UST because I saw such a welcoming, vibrant and supportive community I could be a part of.
BR: Why did you apply for the scholarship?
HB:I applied for the Hometown Heroes scholarship because I saw it as an opportunity for my idea to be made into a reality, one that has the potential to make a positive impact for Houston city.
BR: What was your reaction in winning the scholarship?
HB: It’s an incredible opportunity that I am and will always be grateful for.
BR: How will this help you, your family, in your educational pursuit?
HB: This scholarship will help me obtain my bachelor’s degree in nursing and serve as an inspiration to my siblings who will one day be in pursuit of their own degrees.
BR: Are there any clubs/organizations you are joining this year?
HB: So far, I’m looking forward to joining the Nursing Club, Filipino Student Association and Anime Club.
BR: What most excites you about college and being at UST?
HB: I would say the opportunity to learn from UST’s amazing professors whom I can see possess wealth of knowledge which, as a student, I look forward to delving into every day. I also very much look forward to meeting new people and making friends as I connect with the vibrant community UST has to offer.
BR: Anything else you’d like to add about the scholarship, attending college or your UST experience?
HB: There is one detail I would like to add that I would have never known had I not become a student here at UST – the numerous amount of absolutely cute squirrels I get to see everyday as I walk to and from classes. I have never come across a dull moment while watching them.
About the Hometown Heroes Scholarship
Launched in 2022, the Hometown Heroes Scholarship initiative at UST will provide Gonzalez’s project with the funding and support to make it a reality. The scholarship contest was opened to Houston Independent School District high school seniors who submitted written plans to solve problems in their communities.