Love. Education. Service.

Borderplex Family Gives $35,000 to Help El Paso Students Attend the Foster School of Medicine

Cervantes siblings honor parents’ lessons and late sister’s memory by establishing scholarship

Paying it forward lifts everyone up. That was the simple but impactful message Dianne May and Arturo Cervantes taught their children growing up.

Now adults, the Cervantes siblings proudly announced on Dec. 21, 2023, a generous $35,000 gift to Texas Tech Health El Paso for Foster School of Medicine scholarships. The Dianne and Arturo Cervantes Scholarship in Memory of Amanda Dawn Cervantes will be awarded to eligible El Paso-area students, with a special preference for high school graduates from the Ysleta Independent School District. The gift will be matched by TTUHSC El Paso, bringing the total to $70,000.

Along with their spouses, Alyssa Cervantes Benavides, Ph.D., M.P.A., Aaron Daniel Cervantes, J.D., and Andrew David Cervantes, M.B.A., said they wanted to honor their parents’ lessons of love, education and service as well as the memory of their sister, Amanda Dawn Cervantes, who passed away from a congenital heart condition during infancy.

Since Amanda's passing, their father also survived multiple bouts of skin cancer.

They hope their gift will help support the education of future physicians who will stay in our Borderplex and help families like theirs.

“We can recall the pain of watching our father pack up to drive to Houston for treatment at the MD Anderson Cancer Center throughout our childhood,” said Dr. Benavides. “Families shouldn’t have to deal with that uncertainty apart, but we had no choice and so we did. We’re grateful our father returned each time after treatment and continued to push us to remain focused on education and service.”

Dr. Benavides is the senior director of Texas Tech Health El Paso’s Office of Interprofessional Education; Aaron Daniel Cervantes is executive director of development at UCLA’s School of Theater, Film and Television; and Andrew David Cervantes is a senior college alumni adviser at San Antonio Independent School District and an adjunct faculty member at Alamo Colleges.

Aaron Cervantes said their parents led by example, inspiring all three children to pursue higher education degrees and work in higher education. They were also generous with their money, even when funds were tight and bills were coming in daily.

"They survived life’s hardships, including the loss of a child and aggressive cancer diagnoses, while sometimes struggling to make ends meet,” Aaron Cervantes said. “And yet, they regularly gave money to MD Anderson and to the March of Dimes toward cancer treatment and birth defect prevention, respectively. They did this knowing any gift could make a difference for a family in need.”

As adults, the Cervantes siblings were inspired by the grassroots campaign to bring a medical school to El Paso and have been in awe watching Texas Tech Health El Paso grow.

They knew then, and still believe, that El Paso deserves what big cities such as Los Angeles, New York and Chicago have. That El Paso deserves a vibrant community with a focus on health sciences and health care access for everyone.

“To help fund the education of a future doctor, who may one day treat patients like our father and sister, is a special accomplishment and an honor,” Aaron Cervantes said. “Encouraging El Paso students, the way our parents encouraged us, not only continues our parents’ legacy but also furthers the city’s destiny for a healthier, more prosperous Borderplex. Since El Paso graduates are likely to stay close to home and help our community, we know our gift will advance health care in our Borderplex.”

The Cervantes family hopes their philanthropy encourages others to support scholarships. Dr. Benavides said giving any amount, to any local charity, helps the people and economic development of El Paso.

“Giving provides opportunities. We hope our scholarship plays a part in encouraging El Paso students toward the health care field, to learn in a quality academic health care program like those offered at Texas Tech Health El Paso,” Dr. Benavides said. “We hope it inspires more El Paso students to dedicate their careers to serving the people of our community. We want do what we can to ensure the best future for our children and future generations.”

First-year Foster School of Medicine student Elizabeth Penner is the type of student the Cervantes scholarship will benefit. Elizabeth, a graduate of the Francis Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, knew her future had to be in health care after her father passed away when she was young and her mother’s involvement in an accident.

To help her realize her dream, last year Elizabeth received a $10,000 personal gift from Kelly Tomblin, President and CEO of El Paso Electric, to help with her medical school expenses. Elizabeth spoke about the importance of scholarships at the Cervantes gift announcement and how the family’s gift will allow talented local students to become the next generation of health care leaders in their hometown.

“A scholarship for me means beyond financial support. It helps you when you're tired or discouraged because it really pushes you to go beyond your measures because you have someone that's believing in you,” Elizabeth said. “The Cervantes family scholarship is going to impact people just like the Kelly Tomblin scholarship impacted me. It's going to give other students the opportunity to feel the support of a person having your back and and someone just rooting for you.”

About Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso

TTUHSC El Paso is the only health sciences center on the U.S.-Mexico border and serves 108 counties in West Texas that have been historically underserved. It’s a designated Title V Hispanic-Serving Institution, preparing the next generation of health care heroes, 48% of whom identify as Hispanic and are often first-generation students.

Established as an independent university in the Texas Tech University System in 2013, TTUHSC El Paso is celebrating 10 years as a proudly diverse and uniquely innovative destination for education and research.

With a mission of eliminating health care barriers and creating life-changing educational opportunities for Borderplex residents, TTUHSC El Paso has graduated over 2,000 doctors, nurses and researchers over the past decade, and will add dentists to its alumni beginning in 2025. For more information, visit ttuhscepimpact.org.