University of Texas at Austin
Freshman
AstroPhysics
Davila/Treviño Memorial Scholarships
Constant difficulties in life teach us to persevere and never give up, but as Vince Lombardi stated, “It’s not whether you get knocked down, it’s whether you get up.” Vennicio Docasar has dealt with significant adversities, and yet, he has continued to persevere in pursuit of his education. In recognition of Vennicio’s resilience, he earned the Davila/Treviño Memorial Scholarship at the 2020 GMiS Conference. He is currently working towards obtaining his bachelor’s degree in astrophysics from the University of Texas at Austin.
At only 7 years of age, Vennicio moved to the United States from Guadalajara, Mexico, with his mother and baby brother. Though he was familiar with moving to a new place, this was the first time Vennicio had to learn a new language and become familiar with a new education system. Vennicio remembers being angry as he progressed through school and was befriended by an unruly crowd of students. He mentions, “I had no motivation and began to try to fit in with the cool recalcitrant crowd.” This crowd of students tried to influence him to make bad decisions at school. He eventually came to the realization that he needed to break away from the bad crowds and start making positive changes on his own. Vennicio’s first positive change was to enroll in a high school that would take him away from the neighborhood and prepare him for college.
“Changing my outlook on life has furthered my education and helped me achieve my goals”
At IDEA Montopolis College Prep, Vennicio learned to take his studies seriously if he wanted to go to college. Self-motivated, he managed to complete 13 AP courses. He not only strived to get good grades, but he also gained the confidence to participate in extracurricular activities at school. With the help of the school’s principal, Vennicio became the founding president of the National Honor Society organization chapter at his high school. His natural leadership and tenacity motivated students to vote for him as the first president. He also participated on the school’s sports teams – baseball, cross country, and track.
Vennicio’s principal recalls, “One of Vennicio’s greatest strengths is his ability to ask questions without fear, knowing that asking for help can only get him further along.” Vennicio has always been determined to gain as much knowledge aspossible. During Summer 2019, he participated in an Astro-Track Camp at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University where he was taught the fundamentals of astronautical engineering and what it was like to be an engineer at Northrup Grumman.
“Changing my outlook on life has furthered my education and helped me achieve my goals,” Vennicio states. He knows that there will always be hardships to deal with, but with the right state of mind and some perseverance, goals can be achieved. GMiS congratulates Vennicio for his academic perseverance and wishes him the best as he progresses through college and onto being a successful future STEM professional.