Neal and Lourdes Simmons Scholarship Endowment

Neal and Lourdes Simmons Scholarship Endowment
Established in 2002 by the Neal and Lourdes Simmons
Foundation, scholarships are awarded to full-time
students classified as juniors or seniors who enroll
full time and who are pursuing an academic program
in the area of education. Recipients of this
scholarship must be U.S. citizens or resident aliens
and must maintain a GPA of 3.0 for college courses
already completed. The scholarships are available
during the fall and spring semesters, and students
must reapply each year.
“We are very happy to have established this
endowment and will increase it in the future. We think that the most
important asset we have in Brownsville is The University of Texas at
Brownsville and Texas Southmost College and what it is doing for our
children who will be the future leaders of Brownsville,” said Simmons “My
wife, Lourdes, and I have chosen to try to give something back, not only
our time, but also financial support to the university, not only now but
in the future. That’s the way we can best serve those people who have done
business with us over the years and to whom we owe a lot. On a daily basis
we see the need for the majority of the citizens to have the opportunity
to get out of their present condition by getting a good education.”
The Simmons family strongly believes in giving back to the community.
Simmons describes himself as a “firm believer” in education. Neal Simmons
is very supportive of education and has served on the UTB/TSC Development
Board, Brownsville Public Library Board, Brownsville Library Expansion
Committee and the Brownsville Library Foundation Board. As a member of the
Development Board, he worked to build financial support for the university
with an eye toward long-term goals. His public service also includes
involvement with the Boy Scouts and as a trustee of First United Methodist
Church in Brownsville.
A homebuilder, Neal Simmons is a native of Gonzalez, Texas, with a high
school education and an advanced degree in life experiences. He launched
El Valle Homes in 1977. Working his way up in the construction business
across the state, his company now develops some 300 residential sites and
constructs about 100 homes a year in the Brownsville area. Mr. Simmons
feels he owes his successful business to the many hardworking families of
modest means for whom he has built thousands of affordable homes. He has
served as a director for the National Association of Homebuilders. As
former chairman of the board of Valley Regional Medical Center, Simmons
served as chairman of its building committee.
Congratulations to ____________________________, recipient of the Neal and
Lourdes Simmons Scholarship Endowment.