LUBOCC, Texas (KCBD) – Jennifer and Marcelino Aguirre are Texas Tech graduates who will return to Lubbock from Arkansas in 2014 to raise their families.
Jennifer describes his son Joseph, a senior at Lubbock Cooper High School, as a constantly determined person.
“Joseph, he’s very stubborn,” Jennifer said. “He decided he wanted to make an impact, so when he started high school he just didn’t want to be in the background, he wanted to stand out.”
And Joseph did just that. He has not only played Varsity tennis for the past four years, but is also the president of both the school’s Spanish club and the National Honor Society.
“There’s no specific formula for having a lot on your plate,” Joseph said. “I feel you need to have a strong work ethic and motivation to get through everything.”
Joseph thinks he is driving to his parents.
“I’ve seen all of that work and how much effort they put into me,” Joseph said.
Earlier this month, when Joseph received an impact scholarship worth $48,000 from the University of Texas, enough money was paid off to pay for classes for the next four years.
This honor is awarded only to 60 students per year and is awarded to those who have an impact on the school and the community. Jennifer says it’s great to see her son be amazed by the people at school who also influenced his life.
“He was our son and we raised him and loved him, but Joseph is a book with many chapters, and they are all the people who wrote some of those chapters,” Jennifer said. “It was very emotional for me.”
Marcelino says he is proud that his son has come out there and made a change himself.
“The thing I see him excellence is the one who actually did this and it brings a lot of joy to know that it wasn’t given to him,” Marcelino said. “He’s the one who actually went out there and looked for it.”
Joseph will be attending UT in the fall, majoring in kinesiology and exercise science, with plans to head to physical therapy school shortly afterwards. He plans to influence Austin while he is there, but says he is grateful for the opportunity to serve the Lubbock community while he lives here.
“It’s very rewarding,” Joseph said. “It feels so good because I feel like the Lubbock community is giving me a lot of support, so that’s amazing to me so that we can gather change and impacts in the community.”
Copyright 2025 KCBD. Unauthorized reproduction is prohibited.
