Aaron Munoz, Veronica Chavez and Maria Morales receive their scholarships. Another recipient, Roberto Gonzalez, was unable to attend.
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Thanks to a $10,000 grant from The Alphonse Siros Charitable Trust, four students studying to be respiratory care therapists at the Health Science Center’s Laredo Campus Extension will each receive $2,500 scholarships. Most of these students will remain in Laredo or go on to practice in other underserved South Texas communities.

The late Alphonse Siros was a World War I veteran. Later, as a bighearted, successful businessman, he generously donated his time and knowledge to numerous civic organizations in South Texas. Along with his sister, Lou Vena Siros, an instructor at the Laredo Junior College, he created The Alphonse Siros Charitable Trust in 1986 to provide scholarships for deserving students in Laredo. Mr. and Mrs. William Dickinson of Laredo serve as the current trustees.

Respiratory care program
The respiratory care program at the Health Science Center was established in 1994. Since then, the program has graduated numerous highly qualified professionals who are currently working in the field. The program expanded to a loaned space at Texas A&M International University in August 2001 and to the newly constructed Laredo Campus Extension in January 2003 to meet the critical demand for respiratory therapists in Laredo and the region. Several graduates of the program have remained in Laredo to serve patients or to pursue further studies in respiratory therapy at the Health Science Center.

Respiratory care open house
Laredo and area students interested in becoming respiratory therapists and applying to the Health Science Center’s respiratory care program are invited to an upcoming Respiratory Care Open House. The event, free and open to the public, will be held between 3:30 and 5 p.m. Thursday, March 29, in the auditorium at the Laredo Campus Extension, 1937 Bustamante.

Students, counselors and parents will learn about the profession of respiratory care, prerequisite course and admission requirements, and the application procedure. Health Science Center respiratory care faculty members will describe the various areas in which respiratory therapists work and will offer hands-on demonstrations of equipment used in respiratory care. Refreshments will be provided.

For more information
For more information, call Adriana Guerra, Laredo program coordinator, at 956-523-7410 or the department of respiratory care at 210-567-8850. Interested individuals may also visit www.uthscsa.edu/respiratorycare.

The Health Science Center’s respiratory care program is ranked among the top programs in the nation, according to a survey published in the American Association for Respiratory Care Education Section Bulletin. Robert Wilkins, Ph.D., is professor and department chair, and David Vines, M.H.S., RRT, is an assistant professor and director of the program.