As Spring Branch ISD celebrates 80 years of serving students and families, Memorial-Spring Branch Rotary is marking a milestone of its own: more than $1.2 million in scholarships awarded to SBISD graduates since 1969.
Each year, the club awards 10 to 11 scholarships worth $3,000 each to help graduating seniors with college expenses. For recipients, the support can make the next step feel possible.
“The money has helped me greatly for my college journey,” said Kezia Canady, a 2026 Spring Woods High School (SWHS) graduate and recipient of the MSBR Bill Archer Family Scholarship. Canady, the first in her family to attend college, is now a student at Louisiana State University. “I worried about how my school necessities and remaining tuition would be covered, but the Memorial Spring Branch Rotary covered the cost.”
A community effort
Memorial-Spring Branch Rotary members have raised scholarship funds through pancake dinners, spaghetti suppers, golf tournaments and other events. For the past 20 years, the club’s Rolex for Scholarships raffle has helped sustain the awards.
Club member Ashok Garg works with supporters outside the club to secure a donated Rolex watch valued at more than $10,000. Members then sell $20 raffle tickets, and the club awards the watch at its November meeting.
“When I arrived in this country in 1967 with very little money, several people helped me go to college here,” Garg said. “As I became successful after college, I made a promise to myself to support causes that made higher education possible for less privileged students.”
The club shares its scholarship application with SBISD high school counselors, who make the opportunity available to students. Board members review applications and select 20 finalists for essays and interviews before choosing the scholarship recipients.
Support that stays with students
Emily Mica, a 2024 Stratford High School (SHS) graduate, set her sights on Texas A&M University after visiting the campus. She also worried about how her family would cover the cost.
“Thinking about how I would pay for college, rent, and even food were things that ran through my head 24/7 my senior year of high school,” said Mica, a recipient of the Wallis Bank MSBR Scholarship. “I heard about the Memorial Spring Branch Rotary Club scholarship that really opened my eyes and made my dream sound like it could become a reality.”
Mica participated in SBISD’s Grow Our Own career and technical education program for students interested in teaching. She hopes to return to the district as an educator after college.
“It is still my plan and my dream to be able to return to the school district that gave me so much and return the service,” she said.
Jem Flowers, a 2023 Spring Woods High (SWHS) graduate and recipient of the Carter Franklin MSBR Scholarship, said the award gave her more room to focus on college. She studies environmental technology at Texas A&M and is a member of the Corps of Cadets.
“I was able to focus on my studies instead of worrying about paying for school, which is what a lot of students struggle with,” Flowers said. She hopes to offer students similar support one day.
Emily’s brother, Luke Mica, received a Carter Franklin MSBR Scholarship after graduating from Stratford High School (SHS) in 2026. Now attending Texas A&M, he plans to pursue a career in medicine.
“I was, and am, deeply grateful to have been able to be a recipient of a scholarship coming from the hard-working people of Spring Branch, being that I’ve lived here all my life,” Luke said. He hopes to return to the area as a physician and serve the community that supported him.
Their mother, Jessica Mica, teaches kindergarten at Valley Oaks Elementary (VOE). “Receiving the scholarships meant so much to our family,” she said. “It was a recognition for their hard work and a community investing in their future.”
Scholarship recipients receive $2,000 for their first year of college. They can receive $500 in each of the following two years by maintaining a grade point average of at least 2.0. The funds are sent directly to their colleges.
Service beyond scholarships
Memorial-Spring Branch Rotary also supports an annual back-to-school health fair and contributes to student and community organizations, including Odyssey of the Mind teams, the Spring Branch Council for Exceptional Children and the PTA Area Council.
“If we can help even one family, this scholarship program is a success,” said club member Eric Liu.
Through scholarships and service, the club continues to invest in SBISD students and the community they call home.