Ho Family Scholarship Helps Students Achieve the American Dream

A new endowment created by Steve Ho has established the Ho Family Scholarship for the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science.

When he was just 6 years old, Ho and his family immigrated to the United States from war-torn Vietnam. Ho grew up knowing the importance of education. Once in the U.S., he and his family were able to pursue a higher education, and he felt inspired to give others that same opportunity.

Decades later, Ho watched his son, Nathaniel Ho BS’24, graduate from The University of Texas at Dallas with a degree in electrical engineering.

“During my son’s time at UT Dallas, we met his friends on the Dallas Formula Racing team and the members of the University’s faculty,” Ho said. “The stories of my son’s friends were amazing. Most of them are either immigrants or children of immigrants. They and their parents worked extremely hard to get a better life in the U.S. It’s truly the American story.”

Ho remembered what it was like to grow up poor and watch his own family work hard to make a better life for themselves here in the United States, memories that resonated with the stories he learned about UT Dallas students. He hopes his scholarship will encourage more immigrants to pursue higher education at the University.

“We noticed UT Dallas and the Jonsson School are doing a great job of lifting kids and preparing them for careers in engineering or other successful fields,” Ho said. “The school does a lot with very little.”

Ho hopes the University continues to grow into an even more vibrant community with additional students living on campus. He also encourages students to take advantage of mentorship opportunities with industry professionals to them help prepare for careers after graduation.

“UT Dallas attracts students who are hard workers, hungry for success and looking to achieve the American dream,” Ho said. “With a little bit more resources, I think [the University] will help these students do amazing things, and in near future, UT Dallas will have a lot of very successful alumni.”

Scholarship applicants must be full-time students pursuing an undergraduate degree offered by the Department of Mechanical Engineering or Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering.

“I hope the gift will allow students on scholarships to complete their studies without worrying about tuition and finance,” Ho said. “They can focus on classes, graduation and finding a good career.”