BAFTX Awards 2017

On April 24 the British American Foundation of Texas held its annual Awards Ceremony at the Federal Reserve in Houston.

26 awards were presented, bringing together benefactors from as far afield as New York and Baltimore with the brightest academic stars of Texas. 

Her Majesty's Consul General, Karen Bell, welcomed guests and gave a brief outline of the work carried out by BAFTX and why it is so vital for the future of our communities.  Ziba Colah, BAFTX Award Winner 2016 and student of Biochemistry and Biophysics at University of Houston spoke about how the award has changed her life and her future plans for a medical career.  De Matthew Ware, originally from Swansea but currently researching nanotechnology and its medical applications at Baylor, was the keynote speaker.  

Benefactors from ConocoPhillips, Phillips 66, Hess Corporation, Williams Companies, British Airways, Enbridge Inc, Enterprise Products Partners, ACS International Schools Wood Mackenzie, TD Securities, British American Business Council, King and Spalding, FWB Park Brown and Faithful+Gould presented awards to students from Texas A&M, University of Houston, University of Texas, Houston Community College, Houton Baptist University, KIPP Generations Collegiate, Northside High School, Cesar Chavez High School, Carnegie Vanguard High School and Wharton Dual Language K-8 Academy.

It was also the occasion to present the inaugural Susan Howard Community Service Award for future philanthropists and those who put the needs of their community first.

As one recipient of a college scholarship noted: “This scholarship will serve as a motivator for me moving forward to continue working hard and to always push forward”

More photos of the evening may be viewed here.

Junior Achievers 2017

BAFTX's six Junior Achievers for 2017 have been selected. 

In July, Charity, Chastity, Da'Triana, Gabriela, Natalie and Robert will head off to London where they will benefit from a busy schedule of visits and tours, taking in the highlights that the capital city has to offer, learning about British culture, politics and history.  In addition, they will become more independent, more confident and gain a more global vision of the world, understanding the benefits that travel and experiencing other cultures can bring.  Our 2017 Junior Achievers are smart and ambitious .... we will certainly be hearing more from them as they embark on their adventure this summer.

Wine Women and Song 2017

BAFTX held its annual Wine Women and Song event on January 21st at the Junior League of Houston.  It was our biggest ever Wine Women and Song event with nearly 200 guests enjoying champagne, delicious food, fantastic tombola and raffle prizes, great speeches and the awesome entertainment provided by the Fab Five.  Most importantly however, it raised $16 000 for the Foundation, providing college scholarships for gifted and underprivileged students in Texas.

Photos are available here.

BAFTX Awards 2015

The 9th Annual BAFTX Scholarship Awards Ceremony was held on Tuesday May 12th 2015.

Over 130 guests - including students, their families and friends, sponsors and the BAFTX Board of Directors, attended the ceremony.

34 awards were given this year, 26 Undergraduate Awards, 6 Junior Achiever Awards, 1 Early Starter Award and 1 Kids With Courage Award.

Junior Achievers 2015

Four HISD students will travel free to Great Britain this summer, thanks to the British Foundation of Texas's (BAFTX) Junior Achievers award. The students will travel for nearly two weeks learning about British culture.

Juniors Ziwei Guo (Bellaire HS), Yazmin Hurtado (Davis HS), David Jasso (Reagan HS), and Donald Peacock (Reagan HS) wrote compelling essays, obtained strong teacher recommendations, and demonstrated the academic excellence to stand out among the more than 100 applicants.

HISD juniors comprise four of the six winners from Texas and will be honored at an awards banquet in Houston on May 12, 2015. The students will visit sites of historic and artistic importance, such as the Tower of London, as well as attending a play in London's West End.

BABC Gala proceeds

Derek Blackwood, BABC Chairman, presented a check for the proceeds of the 2014 BABC Gala to BAFTX President Susan Howard.

Junior Achievers 2014

The selection for the Jr Achiever Scholarship 2014 was a tough one as always! The review panel finally made the choice. 6 students are outward bound to England on 22nd June, 2014. 

Swansea student awarded first "Texas-funded" scholarship

A Swansea University student will be swapping his beach shoes for cowboy boots when he kicks off his second year of study in Texas.

Medical Engineering student David Rochelle has been awarded the first British American Foundation of Texas (BAFTX) funded scholarship to study at Texas A&M University (TAMU).

David, whose home town is Cannock in Staffordshire, will be starting his studies in Texas in October spending his first semester at TAMU before continuing his studies back at Swansea.