This season the Valero Alamo Bowl is celebrating the 25th anniversary of its scholarship program that has awarded $12 million in scholarships split between 1,917 recipients.
So for the first installment of our Spotlight Series, we’re excited to introduce you to Stacy Lujan, a 2022 scholarship winner from Somerset, Texas. She has turned her passion for sports into a career path. Now a sophomore at Rice University, Stacy’s journey from class valedictorian and high school dance leader to interning at the Valero Alamo Bowl is worth highlighting.
Stacy’s high school years were defined by leadership and discipline as a four-year member, and eventual head officer, of her dance team. Her dedication earned her a Valero Alamo Bowl scholarship, which she describes as life changing. “I was in the locker room getting ready for practice and got a random call telling me I had won,” she said. “I was really excited, and my parents were really proud of me as well. I walked out of the locker room and told my teammates at practice, and we were all just really happy.”
Stacy’s love for sports stems from her ability to unite people. “Sports bring people together from all walks of life,” she explains. In service of this, she founded the Rice Sport Management Society last year, with the goal of providing her peers with an easy opportunity to network: “I think sports, it’s very isolating sometimes, and when you don’t grow up with those connections, then it’s kind of hard to get into it. I know that we’re all networking and going to these events and trying to meet other people, but let’s also network within our community. Let’s start as friends.” This passion led her to major in Sport Management at Rice and eventually intern with the Valero Alamo Bowl in 2023. Her hands-on role included everything from setting up events like the Ricos River Rally to assisting at the scholarship luncheon. These experiences solidified her career aspirations in event operations.
As one of the youngest interns, Stacy embraced every challenge with enthusiasm. “I might not have grown up in a sports household, but I’m willing to put in the work to learn,” she said. Her favorite moments included working alongside peers from other universities and witnessing the joy of scholarship recipients and their families at the luncheon as a former recipient herself. “I remember I was helping out with sign-in during the event, and then a student came in that was from Somerset, and I was like “Oh my gosh, that’s so cool, I just graduated from there!” Seeing it on the other side and seeing how proud the parents are at the scholarship luncheon, you can see it in their face because that’s the emotion that these types of events foster.”
Stacy dreams big—her ultimate goal is to work in sports in an operations role, preferably as the head of a bowl game! In the meantime, she’s focused on gaining diverse experience in event operations, including an upcoming study-abroad internship in London near Arsenal and Chelsea football clubs. Her story is a testament to her hard work and the Valero Alamo Bowl’s goal to be a positive force in our community with the #1 local scholarship program among all the bowls. Stay tuned for more behind-the-scenes stories that showcase the people who make the Valero Alamo Bowl such a memorable and impactful event!
To read the entire interview transcript, please click here.