{"id":38721,"date":"2016-04-18T15:27:30","date_gmt":"2016-04-18T15:27:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.austincc.edu\/newsroom\/?p=38721"},"modified":"2016-04-27T13:33:04","modified_gmt":"2016-04-27T13:33:04","slug":"innovating-a-nation-the-lasting-legacy-of-drs-john-and-suanne-roueche","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.austincc.edu\/newsroom\/2016\/04\/18\/innovating-a-nation-the-lasting-legacy-of-drs-john-and-suanne-roueche\/","title":{"rendered":"Innovating a nation: The lasting legacy of Drs. John and Suanne Roueche"},"content":{"rendered":"

As Drs. John and Suanne Roueche walked into the room, a nervous smile stretched across the face of Austin Community College nursing student Mario Hernandez.<\/p>\n

\"IMG_5943\"<\/p>\n

Mario Hernandez, ACC student<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\u201cI didn’t see college in my future,\u201d says Hernandez. \u201cI didn\u2019t have the financial support system to make it a reality. I didn’t know about financial aid. I didn’t know there were scholarships. The Roueches made it possible.\u201d<\/p>\n

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They truly treasure the fact that you’re going to be successful. – Dr. Richard Rhodes<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Hernandez and nine other ACC students received the Drs. John and Suanne Roueche Endowed Scholarship at ACC for the 2015-16 academic year.<\/p>\n

\u201cHaving an opportunity to meet them and say thank you in person was important to me,\u201d says Hernandez. \u201cHearing their words of advice gives me the encouragement I need to continue pushing through any obstacle that may come my way.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can\u2019t give somebody success, but you can create conditions that help students develop their ability and find success,\u201d says John. \u201cGood things happen when you give your best.\u201d<\/p>\n

For decades the husband and wife team have devoted their careers and life to increasing access to higher education and enhancing student success. First established in 2012, the Roueche scholarship at ACC has helped 37 students pursue their passion. The scholarships are offered through an endowment established with the ACC Foundation for which John also serves on the Board of Directors. In 2014, the Roueches established an additional scholarship program for students in ACC\u2019s Veterinary Technology program. Ten students received awards this year.<\/p>\n

\"IMG_5966\"<\/p>\n

Luncheon with scholarship recipients<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\u201cThey are true believers in the mission of the community college and they put their money where their heart is. It\u2019s a personal investment,\u201d says Dr. Richard Rhodes, ACC president and CEO. \u201cThey truly treasure the fact that you’re going to be successful. Through their support students are empowered to reach their academic goals and better their lives.”<\/p>\n

Along with supporting students, the Roueches have worked to empower community college systems nationwide. Having mentored more than 200 community college CEOs, including Dr. Rhodes, the Roueches have been instrumental in developing student-centered institutions.<\/p>\n

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It\u2019s about investing in our future. – Dr. John Roueche<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\u201cTheir contributions to education are historical,\u201d says Dr. Rhodes. \u201cThey are my mentors. They are what I aspire to be as a leader; a person who really puts their heart and soul, their passion, and their money into other peoples\u2019 lives to help them be better.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hernandez will graduate in May with his associate degree and has been accepted to Texas State University where he will pursue a bachelor\u2019s degree in Sports and Exercise Science in fall.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy future, without their support, was unclear,\u201d says Hernandez. \u201cThe faith they had in me and the support they\u2019re giving me through this scholarship not only made my pathway to a career financially possible, it gave me the courage to pursue and to succeed.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Learn more about the ACC Foundation<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\u201cI was concerned that maybe our scholarships weren\u2019t enough to help people get through,\u201d says Suanne. \u201cI\u2019ve always been surprised at what kind of a difference it makes. What you invest in them comes back. They stay in school. They graduate. They find success.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s about investing in our future. Community colleges take all the people in society who don\u2019t have opportunities and they give them opportunities; they give them a chance. There\u2019s nothing more profound.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As Drs. John and Suanne Roueche walked into the room, a nervous smile stretched across the face of Austin Community College nursing student Mario Hernandez. \u201cI didn’t see college in my future,\u201d says Hernandez. \u201cI … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3556,"featured_media":38726,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[12,17,19,1],"tags":[475,909,908,100],"class_list":["post-38721","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business-and-community","category-news-and-announcements","category-students-and-alumni","category-updates","tag-acc-foundation","tag-john-and-suanne-roueche","tag-roueche","tag-scholarships"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.austincc.edu\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38721","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.austincc.edu\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.austincc.edu\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.austincc.edu\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3556"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.austincc.edu\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=38721"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sites.austincc.edu\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38721\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.austincc.edu\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/38726"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.austincc.edu\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=38721"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.austincc.edu\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=38721"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.austincc.edu\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=38721"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}