More than 100 golfers teed off at Butterfield Trail Golf Club on Oct. 2, raising $110,600 for scholarships at the Socorro Independent School District’s 19th Annual Golf Tournament and boosting support for students’ higher education.
Organized by the SISD Foundation Excellence in Education, the tournament brought together SISD administrators, sponsors, businesses and community supporters to help make students' dreams of attending college or university a reality and strengthen their next successful chapter after high school.
“All of these monies will be used to award scholarships to our 2027 seniors at all of our high schools,” said SISD Foundation President Esther McCarthy, adding that she was grateful to this year’s participants for their support.
“We’re very, very proud of our kids going through our school system and then being rewarded with scholarships at the end to help them continue their education,” McCarthy said.
Since 2005, the SISD Foundation has provided post-secondary education scholarships to students by raising funds through its annual golf tournament, as well as employee and community contributions. The Foundation awards five scholarships to students from each of the district’s six comprehensive high schools, along with one scholarship each to students at Mission Early College High School and Options High School.
In May, 50 seniors from the Class of 2026 were awarded scholarships. Thirty-two of those scholarships increased from $3,000 to $3,500, giving recipients even more financial support as they began their post-secondary education journeys.
“It makes me very, very happy as a former teacher and administrator to see our kids be successful and continue to grow in their education and professional careers,” McCarthy said.
McCarthy said this year’s event was one of the largest tournaments, attracting 30 teams and 124 golfers.
SISD Superintendent James Vasquez said the annual tournament was more than a day of golf. It was an opportunity for sponsors, staff and community supporters to come together and invest in students by helping create brighter futures.
“This wouldn't be possible without our sponsors,” Vasquez said. “And I mean that literally. Their contributions, their support, and their support for our students. It just means so much that they come back year after year and make Socorro a priority.”
Jose Juarez of BSN Sports said participating in the tournament was his way of giving back to the district. Both of his daughters graduated from Montwood High School, and one earned an associate degree from El Paso Community College through the school's early college program.
Juarez said he remained committed to supporting SISD because of the positive impact its teachers and administrators had on his daughters' success. He said helping students pursue higher education was a priority.
“If they couldn't get the scholarship, a lot of times they might not have the means to go to college. And so, these scholarships actually help those kids,” Juarez said.