HOUSTON – KPRC 2 and American Furniture Warehouse are surprising 20 deserving high school seniors with $2,500 scholarships in 2026. All students selected for scholarships have been nominated by their high schools.
Pasadena High School senior Jose Valdez is the fifteenth recipient of the KPRC 2-American Furniture Warehouse Senior Scholarship from the class of 2026. Pasadena High School is part of the Pasadena Independent School District.
Originally from La Porte, Valdez moved out of state during his elementary school years. At the beginning of his senior year, he moved back to the Houston area from North Carolina and began attending Pasadena High School. In nominating Valdez for the KPRC 2-American Furniture Warehouse Senior Scholarship, Pasadena High School staff said, “To us, he has always been meant to be an Eagle. The influence and success he has reached here in just one year is impeccable.”
While in North Carolina, Valdez was part of his school’s Student Government Association and Science Olympiad team. He also participated in the Thurgood Marshall College Fund HBCU SOAR Scholars Program.
Volunteering to help his community is something Valdez prioritizes. He told KPRC 2’s Melanie Camp, “I know what it’s like to go through struggles, so being able to give back to what’s helped me is important to me.” Valdez has volunteered with Habitat for Humanity, Cape Fear Botanical Gardens, Stoney Point Fire Department and locally with the Pasadena Livestock Show and Rodeo.
Valdez plans to attend Texas Southern University, where he will study Business Administration with a Pre-Law pathway. Congratulations, Jose!
You can see the scholarship surprise for Jose Valdez in the video player at the top of this article.