Five exceptional Dallas ISD students were honored with $5,000 scholarships each as recipients of the 2025 Monty J. and Sarah Z. Bennett Dallas Scholarship Fund — a program created to reward grit, determination, and academic excellence.
The ceremony, hosted by Dallas Bright Futures on June 17, recognized students who overcame difficult life circumstances to rise to the top of a competitive pool of applicants.
Sarah Bennett also spoke at the event, sharing how her early life mirrored the struggles of many of the scholarship recipients.
“My birth mother was so poor, she had to give me up for adoption at birth,” she said. “So I was not raised with my biological siblings, and I went to school on academic scholarship.”
She continued, “I commend so many of you who are here for being able to rise above a lot of the circumstances that have been handed to you, because you will find your way. You will find your way to lead, to inspire others. It does not matter where you come from. Thankfully, we still live in America, in a country that allows people to rise from the ashes and to accomplish wonderful things despite whatever circumstances they come from.”
Monty Bennett followed her remarks with his own encouragement and reflections.
“You guys are very impressive individuals, and you should be very proud of your accomplishments,” said Monty Bennett at the award ceremony. “We as an organization are very proud to honor you.”
The scholarship winners — Anica Ayala, Jesus Serrano, Lauren Osorio, Mekhiya Matthews, and Sophia Olivas — came from a “competitive pool” of Dallas high school seniors, according to a recent press release. Each winner stood out in a pool of applicants after submitting essays, recommendations, and sitting for interviews.
Their paths to this moment weren’t easy. One lived without stable housing. Another picked up English after arriving in the country. All five have faced obstacles and pushed through them — not just to succeed, but to make a difference in their communities.
Speaking at the event, Monty Bennett said the road to academic success can be filled with distractions. He credited the students for staying focused and doing the hard work anyway.
“You have to find ways to do well on your tests, find ways to study — because there’s 101 reasons not to, right?” he said. “Whether it’s because you’re home alone, there’s no parents there to make you do it, if it’s friends trying to get you to do something else, or you just don’t want to do it.”
“You have chosen to do what’s right — what is best for you and your future,” he added. “So I’m honored to be able to be here today.”
Bennett also shared his family’s story, explaining how his father’s maternal family had recently immigrated to the United States with little and became successful through education and perseverance.
“I was born into a very successful household. My father, however, was not, and he came from modest backgrounds,” he said. “And he went to school, and he studied hard, and he turned himself into an enormous success, beyond what his mother and father ever thought possible. And that was because of education.”
He urged the students to finish what they’ve started. “Education is so important. Please stick with it. Please stick all the way through it, get your degrees and move forward. Then you can decide if you want to do something else or move on. Don’t get distracted.”
Bennett also spoke about the role faith has played in his and Sarah’s lives.
“Sarah and I both share a strong faith in Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, and that has been a very strong center point for us,” he said. “The prize in our lives [is] focusing on that and trying to serve Him with everything we do and everywhere we go.”
He encouraged students to think about the foundation they build their lives on. “You guys are, I’m sure, of many faiths. I just want to encourage you to consider that, and focus your path on God and letting Him be the center of your life.”
Meet the 2025 Dallas Bright Futures Scholars
- Anica Ayala, graduating from Emmett J. Conrad High School, will attend the University of Texas at Austin to study biology, focusing on pediatric oncology. She is “driven to show future generations that higher education is possible for everyone.”
- Jesus Serrano, also from Conrad, will study theater and dance at UT-Austin. He brings a background in robotics and wants to apply those skills to stage production. “I’m grateful for the opportunity to present myself and be selected,” he told The Dallas Express.
- Lauren Osorio, from Irma Rangel Young Women’s Leadership School, will attend Willamette University in Oregon to study psychology. She overcame personal hardships and now hopes to support others through mental health advocacy. “Psychology is my passion,” she said. “I just want to help people.”
- Mekhiya Matthews, graduating from Kathlyn Joy Gilliam Collegiate Academy with a high school diploma and an associate’s degree, will attend Texas Christian University to study mechanical engineering. She hopes to improve voting systems and hospital operations through her work. “This scholarship is very helpful with the smaller needs,” she said.
- Sophia Olivas, also from Irma Rangel, will study actuarial science at Southern Methodist University. A standout math student, she created financial literacy programs for youth and wants to support underserved communities.
Following the event, Monty Bennett spoke with The Dallas Express about the future of public education in Texas, citing the state’s new school choice bill.
“Hopefully we see a renaissance of education,” he said. “Is this the right solution, at the right level? I don’t know. But you know what? God bless the legislature for doing something.”
“Our big school districts in the cities are notoriously terrible,” he added. “It has to change. They seem to want to talk about everything except how well the students are doing academically.”