HILL COUNTRY COLLEGE FUND LUNCHEON

We are taught to view a college education as a transaction —an investment made today for a payout tomorrow. While those numbers are the foundation of a comfortable life, they are the least important part of a person’s education.

My true education happened in the space between the classes and the late-night study sessions. It was a transformation built on what I call the Three Cs: Confidence, Commitment, and Contacts. However, none of those pillars would have been possible without the bridge that carried me there: Scholarship.

I walked onto the Schreiner College campus in the Fall of 1999 as a shy 18-year-old, hidden behind a thin layer of teenage armor. I was trying very hard to convince all of you that I knew everything, yet I was terrified you all would find out that I was scared and extremely homesick.

I easily could have used the heavy burden of tuition as a barrier that kept me from reaching my full potential. But receiving a scholarship changed the internal dialogue. It wasn’t just “free money”; it was a vote of confidence from people who didn’t even know me yet. It was a belief that someone believed in my potential enough to invest their own resources into my future and I needed to do right by them. That realization was life-changing.

I learned that “not knowing” wasn’t a failure—it was the starting point for growth. Because the financial pressure was eased by the generosity of others, I had the mental space to find my voice, to defend an idea, and to evolve from that quiet teenager into a self-assured person. It helped give me the voice and confidence to grow from that kid who was only going to teach so she could coach into the person leading a district standing before you today.

Coming from a very small high school, I was used to getting by on just listening in class and a little luck. I didn’t truly know how to study because I never had to. College, however, was a whole different story. It only took one nearly-failed exam to realize that “winging it” was no longer a viable life strategy. This is where my scholarships played their most disciplined role. It wasn’t just a gift; it was a responsibility. I felt a profound sense of duty to maintain the grades required to keep that funding. It turned “persistence” into a daily habit.

Now, in my professional life, when I review applicants for my district, I look at transcripts through that same lens. I don’t just look for “As.” I look for the commitment to the long-term goal. I look for the student who stuck with a difficult major and saw it through. My degree is a piece of paper, yes, but it is also a receipt for a promise kept to those who helped fund my education.

We often hear that “it’s not what you know, it’s who you know.” In my experience, those two things are inseparable. My “contacts” aren’t just names in a directory; they are the people I sat next to in freshman orientation who have since become my mentors, colleagues, and partners. They are the professors that knew my name from day one, and supported all of us in everything we took part in whether that was Schreiner athletics or student senate.

In addition, scholarships often brought me into circles with other motivated, high-achieving individuals and donors who shared their wisdom. These connections created a community that serves as my sounding board to this day. When I hit a wall in my career or need advice on a complex situation, I don’t search for an answer in a textbook—I reach out to the network that began on this campus – the colleagues I met through scholarship events, my courses and Schreiner events. Through a phone call, an email, or an unplanned meeting in an aisle of HEB I gain insight from those I have met through scholarship and Schreiner University.

A college education is, of course, an investment in a bank account, but more importantly, it is a permanent investment in character. My scholarships did more than pay for books and credit hours; they helped provide the confidence and growth to soar, the incentive to work hard, and the means to grow in my community. I am not just a graduate of Schreiner University; I am a product of the belief that an investment in one person’s education can change the fabric of their life.

Today, I am driven to instill that same conviction in our students: that success is within reach for anyone with the will to pursue it. The Hill Country College Fund serves as the vital bridge between ambition and opportunity. It empowers our hill country students to take that courageous next step in their education, providing the resources they need to evolve—just as I did—from hesitant teenagers into purposeful, engaged citizens who shape the world around us for generations to come.

Nelson Mandala once said, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” As a product of a Hill Country education, I know that the Hill Country College fund is not just an investment into a student but an investment into bettering the lives of our friends and neighbors.

Lindsey Kunz, Superintendent at Medina Independent School District