Integrity Cohort

Natalia Camelo

Liberal Arts Honors, International Relations & Global Studies
William P. Clements High School
Sugar Land, Texas

I am a recent graduate of William P. Clements High School in Sugar Land, TX, where I graduated summa cum laude as the commencement closing speaker for my class. My high school years were defined by learning the art of communication in a variety of ways, with the first method being classical music.

As a competitive ten-year violinist, I enjoyed the many moments in high school when I could make music with my best friends. Through four years in the Clements Full Symphony Orchestra, I have played principal chair in the first and second violin sections, with last year’s program performance ranking my ensemble as 2^nd in the state for TMEA Honor Orchestra (Full) and 4^th for TMEA Honor Orchestra (String). I further explored the art of making music through close friendship with my string quintet, which qualified for and competed in UIL Instrumental Chamber Music state finals two years in a row. Last December, my orchestra was invited to perform at the esteemed Midwest International Music Clinic, where I performed as concertmaster, played a debuting solo and received an honorary recognition on behalf of my ensemble for excellence in performance.

Though music is my first love, Spanish will always be my first language. Nevertheless, I never could have imagined that my passion for language would introduce me to the field of law. After winning the Expose Excellence Youth Program’s cultural poetry contest with a bilingual poem on Colombian American identity, I was invited to the Fort Bend County District Attorney’s Office. Throughout my first summer at the courthouse, I translated and interpreted vast amounts of evidence and testimonies for investigations, trials and sentencings, from internet crimes to domestic violence to murder. The next school year, I delved into Spanish literature and obtained my seal of biliteracy from AP. I was then qualified to work as a bilingual youth clerk at my local Justice of the Peace Court, honing my legal language skills by helping everyday citizens through evictions and small claims, in both civil and criminal law. Now, I am training in the Fort Bend County 434^th District Court, interpreting for the Honorable Judge Christian Becerra to prepare for my master-level certification test in legal interpreting, which I hope to sit for this year at the State Capitol.

Learning to advocate for the Spanish-speaking community in court prepared me well for student advocacy during the school year. As a lead ambassador in the Student VOICES advisory network, I worked with students across my school district to counsel our superintendent, shaping district initiatives and programming. It was through this network that I participated in Austin Advocacy Day, meeting at a legislative session with my local state representatives and senators, as well as members of the state education committee, to advocate for increased funding for special education and intellectually disabled students.

Learning to speak in different styles, from lost-love ballads in Mandarin to Gregorian chants and prayers in Latin, enthralled me in the world of law as much as in literature. In my senior year, I was selected to participate in the Gifted and Talented Mentorship program, which took me to the Houston Methodist legal department, in the heart of the Methodist Research and Academic Institute in the Texas Medical Center. There, I learned an entirely new legal language, pouring over clinical trial agreements and attending institutional review boards that ensured the safety of medical professionals, test subjects, patients and consumers in clinical laboratory experiments. Eventually, my work culminated in a semester long case-study analysis on behavioral economics. Together with my mentor, in-house counsel and chief of legal services Michael J. Smith, I conducted research on the effect of funding policies on academic programming throughout the institute. Focusing on specialized/in-kind grants, kickbacks and funding caps, this research explored ways that Houston Methodist legal’s corporate policy could maximize budget for learning opportunities while minimizing risk of fraud.

Understanding how to lead in service as well as research defined my high school years. As an officer of National Honor Society, cofounder of my school’s chapter of la Sociedad Honoraria Hispanica, and team leader in the Challenge Club for girls, I learned how to better love others through community, culture and compassion. Some more things that bring joy to my life are reading and annotating my Bible, planning my family’s travel itineraries, and taking every opportunity to sing and dance- especially if it is salsa, merengue, bachata or cumbia!

I feel blessed to study International Relations & Global Studies as a Dedman scholar in the Liberal Arts Honors program, becoming better equipped to change the world under the guidance of Dr. Anderson. I hope to make the most of the Dedman Distinguished Scholars Program and be a Longhorn for others. Hook ‘em!

Awa-Susan Currier

Plan II Honors & Government
Westwood High School
Austin, Texas

Hello! I am a recent graduate of the International Baccalaureate Program at Westwood High School in Austin, Texas. I spent my high school years pursuing my passion for advocacy, exploring leadership through my interests in philanthropy, politics, and music.

At Westwood, I was president of the IB Student Organization, the largest academic community at the school, and president of the Westwood chapter of the National French Honor Society. I was also a member of the National Honor Society, where I served on the Blazing Torch Committee that provides appreciation and support to Westwood teachers and staff, and of Westwood Pacesetters, an all-girl philanthropic organization that extended my volunteering experience outside my learning community.

For the last two years, I served as Representative for my student body to Round Rock ISD Student Voice, travelling throughout the District and meeting regularly with leadership for discussions and workshops about the needs of our peers and the District’s future development. I participated in Round Rock ISD’s Education Specification; provided input on the 2024 bond proposal; contributed to the strategic plan for the 2024-25 and 2025-26 school years; rallied support among voting-age students for the 2023 VATRE that provided District staff with a significant raise; and worked with the Chief of Access and Opportunity to raise awareness about systematic barriers in public education.

One of my most fulfilling activities has been to serve as student coordinator for a local emergent bilingual English tutoring program for the Greater Austin area, a role that continues to this day. I recruit and train tutors, create lesson plans, and arrange for donations of books, school supplies, and technology for students in need. Beyond my responsibilities as a student coordinator, my dual role as a tutor has allowed me to build a close relationship with my students, encouraging and witnessing their growth as learners.

In all the “busyness” of high school, I found moments of rest in my love of music. At Westwood I was in the Varsity Mixed and Varsity Treble choirs, where I served as dance captain for our spring show for three years and placed fourth in the state at the Madrigal Festival two years in a row.

Though challenging myself in my academics and extracurriculars, I have learned the importance of making time for the simple joys that fill my bucket. In my free time, I enjoy time with friends, concerts, traveling, and trying new foods. Sticking true to the interests, courses, and friendships that fulfill me has given me not only the strength to excel, but the balance to acknowledge my limits.

I am thrilled to be pursuing the Plan II and Government majors here at the University of Texas and am grateful for the opportunity to join my fellow Scholars as a member of the Dedman community. I hope to continue to learn, grow, and drive change during my time on the Forty Acres, and look forward with excitement to seeing how being a Dedman Scholar will enhance those experiences. Hook ‘em!

Thandeka “Thandi” Gwelo

Liberal Arts Honors, Psychology
Liberty Christian School
Argyle, Texas

I am a recent graduate of Liberty Christian School in Argyle, Texas. During my time at Liberty, I had the opportunity to be involved in many different activities. I spent most of my time being highly involved with my tennis team and I played on the varsity team for all four years of high school. Additionally, I was a coach for the youth program. During my senior year, I served as the team manager while continuing to play. I also served as the president of Mandarin Club from tenth to twelfth grade where I planned multiple field trips and an annual fundraiser. As an underclassman, I served as the historian of my class, and as an upperclassman, I served as the student body historian and the student body treasurer. Going into my senior year, I had the honor of being one of two delegates from my school to attend Texas Bluebonnet Girls State where I served as the Federalist Party’s attorney general nominee and as a precinct chairwoman. One of my most fulfilling experiences in high school was being an “Impact Leader” where I had the opportunity to mentor a middle school girl during her seventh and eighth grade years. This experience was specifically important to me as I had gone through the Impact program myself as a middle school student. Having the opportunity to give back and pour into a young girl with a background similar to mine truly solidified my belief of the value of interpersonal connections and mentorship.

Outside of the classroom, I enjoy reading and writing. My favorite authors are Firoozeh Dumas and Reyna Grande. I also have a passion for travel and I had the opportunity to visit several countries within the last year including the Dominican Republic, Zimbabwe, South Africa, and Panama. My travel ranged from service trips through my school to family vacations, and each trip taught me something special. I had the chance to experience a wide variety of cultures and traditions which gave me a deeper understanding of the expansive human experience. My love for traveling has given me a unique perspective of the world around me and has inspired me to pursue psychology in college.

At UT, I am majoring in Psychology in the Liberal Arts Honors Program with the intention of pursuing a career in the medical field. My experiences abroad as well as locally as a member of my high school’s Pre-Med Club have deepened my passion for helping others and ensuring that people across all backgrounds have access to quality healthcare services.

I am excited to see what the next four years have in store for me, especially as a member of the Dedman Distinguished Scholars Program. Hook ‘em!

Daniel Pate

Plan II Honors & Aerospace Engineering
Churchill Classical Academy
Flower Mound, Texas

I am a recent graduate of Churchill Classical Academy of Flower Mound, Texas, pursuing a degree in Aerospace Engineering and Plan II Honors. Churchill Classical is the name of my homeschool, and I am very grateful for this unconventional schooling path because of the flexibility and the opportunity it provided. Amid fifty speech and debate tournaments and close to one thousand debate rounds, homeschooling allowed me to balance competitive debate and college academics while in high school. It also freed me to launch into educational opportunities I relished, like reading Dante, Machiavelli, or de Tocqueville for my Western Civ dual credit class, or designing, building and testing propulsion systems for my aerospace club.

I also served as lead attorney for teen court, where my philosophical and rhetorical leanings further took flight while defending and prosecuting juvenile offenders. Throughout all the philosophical studies, I continually asked a simple question: how does the medium of communication affect thought itself? Throughout all of high school, I analyzed this question while studying various communication forms. Whether in the language of mathematics, through vectors, integrals, and differentials, or while learning Chinese through a summer language immersion program in Taiwan, my philosophical training launched me into orbit around the question of epistemological limits, propelling me to understand the impact of language across disciplines.

The fruit of my interests in philosophy sprang from a foundation rooted in civic service, developed during my time in Scouts. As I pursued and obtained the rank of Eagle Scout, I developed a love for charitable service that I believe is a crucial mindset for every citizen of our country. Because of this impetus, during high school, I flew through hundreds of hours of public service and received the Presidential Volunteer Service Award Gold. I also travelled abroad on mission trips to Spain and the Czech Republic – not only helping to meet an ESL need in these places but also sharing my faith and deep metaphysical hope based in the grace of God to those I served. That same faith is the reason I sang in student choir at my church with a soloist role, touring annually to perform in juvenile detention centers in multiple states. Every time it was a joy to offer a message of hope to those in desperate circumstances.

In my free time, I relish backpacking, running, sketching, traveling, and seeking out beauty in nature. One seminal achievement was completing the rim-to-rim hike at the Grand Canyon. Hanging out with friends, especially if it involves football, hiking, or coffee, is another favorite pastime of mine. When I’m not studying or socializing, you will likely find me crafting some new espresso drink or baking anything from cookies to croquembouche. I’m extremely grateful to be a part of DDSP, and can’t wait to take flight on the Forty Acres!