When Celeste Ortega-Rodriguez ('15) decided to pursue her bachelor's degree in biological sciences at UNT, graduate school was the furthest thing from her mind.

A first-generation college student raised by her mother in Sherman, Ortega-Rodriguez funded her undergraduate studies through a combination of scholarships, federal aid and UNT's Emerald Eagle Scholars Program, which provides four years of tuition to academically talented students with high financial need.

Now a second-year Ph.D. student in biological sciences and a member of UNT's Graduate Research Training Initiative for Student Enhancement (G-RISE) program, Ortega-Rodriguez has been given the support system to soar even farther in her field.

G-RISE is a program funded by the U.S. National Institutes of Health to cultivate scientists from all backgrounds who have the skills to thrive in the biomedical research workforce. As one of only 22 Tier One research universities in the nation designated a Hispanic-Serving Institution by the U.S. Department of Education, UNT is committed to preparing the next generation of scientists, scholars and innovators who have the skills and experience they need to launch careers in a competitive market in Texas and beyond. Since it debuted at UNT in 2021, the G-RISE program has supported 16 doctoral students across STEM disciplines including three who have completed their degrees.

"Coming to UNT was life-changing for me," she says. "UNT gave me the opportunity to get an education, because otherwise it wouldn't have been on the table."