Houston Christian University International students, Ruth and Deborah Ortega, put their thinking caps on to pitch a business idea in a McNair Center for Entrepreneurship and Free Enterprise competition. The siblings won first place in PitchFest, a Shark Tank-like competition that allows students to pitch their ideas to a panel of judges with a chance to win funding to bring their ventures to life. They received a $1,500 check to fund their idea for a platform called “Oportunilab,” a job training and preparation service to equip individuals in their native country of Honduras with skills for in-demand jobs. “The issue in our home-country, Honduras, is that there are many companies offering job opportunities and there are many individuals looking for employment; however, there is a gap between the labor market demands and the preparation that many Hondurans have,” said Ruth, an HCU junior, pursuing a degree in business management. Her sister Deborah, an HCU freshman, is pursuing a degree in finance. The duo are no strangers to entrepreneurship. Their parents run multiple family businesses, including a screen-printing business that services one of the biggest clothing brands in Honduras. The sisters presented a polished business plan and concept to win the competition. The panel of judges included Elizabeth Lewis, former program coordinator of the McNair Center; Ed Borges, assistant provost for student affairs; and Ciro Calderon, an HCU senior.
Baylor University has been awarded a $2.48 million grant from Lilly Endowment through its Religion and Cultural Institutions Initiative to support a major expansion of the Black Gospel Archive at Baylor University Libraries. The award represents one of the largest foundation gifts to support Baylor Libraries and will underwrite an expansion of the Black Gospel Archive and Listening Center, create a four-year concert series and hire staff positions beginning in 2025, in addition to several other important projects aimed at furthering the goals of the BGA. “Lilly Endowment’s support for the next phase of the Black Gospel Archive represents a game-changing opportunity for the Baylor University Libraries,” said Jeffry Archer, dean of University Libraries, Museums and the Press at Baylor. “After 20 years of groundbreaking work to locate, preserve and make accessible America’s Black Gospel music heritage, this gift will propel the Black Gospel Archive to a new level of national visibility and further our understanding of the impact of African American worship on religious culture at large.” The Black Gospel Archive encompasses the Baylor Libraries’ numerous programs, projects, archival collections and resources that identify, collect, preserve and make accessible Black sacred materials. The archive was born from the Black Gospel Music Preservation Program, a nationally recognized effort that has preserved and made publicly available thousands of Black Gospel recordings since its founding in 2005. Learn more about the BGA and its programs on the Baylor Libraries’ website.
The annual MLK Walk at Dallas Baptist University, honoring the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr., offers students, faculty and staff an opportunity to come together to walk in unity, reflecting on King’s message of equality and justice. The event will take place Jan. 20. The next day, DBU will kick off the spring semester with its annual spring Welcome Back party on Jan. 21. Many campus organizations will be featured, offering a chance to discover and learn about the diverse groups that make up DBU.
Hardin-Simmons University will host its 3rd annual Big Country MLK Prayer Breakfast at 7 a.m. on Jan. 20. The breakfast will be held at the Johnson Building on the HSU campus. Matthew Lubin, pastor of Macedonia Baptist Church, will be the guest speaker. The community begins its day in prayer and fellowship while enjoying a complimentary breakfast at the yearly event hosted at HSU. Attendance is free and open to the entire Abilene community. While RSVPs are not required, they are greatly appreciated. Kindly confirm attendance by emailing president@hsutx.edu.
The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor College of Visual and Performing Arts invites high school students considering a future in art or music to campus Jan. 24 for a full day immersed in the arts. The ArtsRush 2025 experience will include specialized activities and performances to inspire and expose prospective college students to the arts at UMHB. Attendees will have opportunities to meet faculty and current students, tour campus and experience many art and music activities on campus. The day ends with a public art exhibition of the work created throughout the day and musical performances. Check-in and breakfast begin at 8:30 a.m. in the lobby of the Baugh Center for the Visual Arts. Music participants should bring their own instruments. Registration is $30 and includes breakfast, lunch, snacks, a hand-screen printed t-shirt and a swag bag with UMHB-branded items. Registration is required for attendance. The last day to register is January 21. Visit www.umhb.edu/visual-performing-arts/artsrush for more information and to register.
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