The Bezos Scholars Program is proud to announce Lamar Academy student Vrinda Patel and school librarian Ariana Guel are part of the 2026 Scholars cohort.
They are the only student-educator team to be selected from the Rio Grande Valley. A total of 12 teams were selected nationwide.
Patel is in the International Baccalaureate Programme based at Lamar Academy. Her home school is Memorial High.
The Bezos Scholars Program inspires and challenges young people and educators from their schools to address issues they are passionate about in their communities.
The applicant pool is competitive; this year, 12 Scholars represent seven states. Scholars are chosen based on commitment to their education, demonstrated leadership abilities, willingness to embrace challenges, and the desire to create positive change in their communities.
Vrinda is passionate about civic engagement and believes in making it easier for people, especially young people, to have their voices heard. She enjoys public speaking and advocacy as tools for drawing attention to issues affecting her community.
Vrinda is particularly passionate about making voter participation and community involvement more accessible and inclusive. Seeing how limited representation can impact communities motivated her to advocate for broader participation and leadership opportunities. She currently serves as the State President of Business Professionals of America, representing student leaders across Texas and advocating for student voice at the state level. Vrinda has also served as president of a local Youth Committee Board, focusing on cultural representation, while remaining actively involved in dance as a form of personal expression.
As a Bezos Scholar, she “looks forward to developing my leadership skills while gaining the perspective needed to create meaningful change in my community.”
Guel is dedicated to creating a safe, welcoming, and innovative library where all students feel empowered to learn and grow. She is passionate about literacy, library innovation, and civic engagement, driven by experiences that have shown her the importance of access, representation, and belonging in helping every student thrive.
She is proud to have secured grant funding to support literacy and media initiatives at both UTRGV McAllen ISD Collegiate Academy and Lamar Academy, expanding opportunities for student learning and engagement. She has also led impactful, culturally centered programs that promote literacy, student voice, and meaningful connection across her campuses.
The program begins with community building before embarking on an all-expenses-paid trip to the Aspen (Colorado) Ideas Festival, where students engage in leadership training, exclusive conversations with acclaimed global leaders, and build lasting friendships with their fellow Scholars. This experience sets the stage for the challenge ahead: launching sustainable Community Change Projects to transform their communities.
“These student leaders and educator advocates are exactly who the world needs right now,” Molly Pencke, Senior Program Manager at the Bezos Family Foundation, said. “We are honored to support and learn from such a brilliant, energized cohort.”
Projects are as diverse as the Scholars themselves and are designed to align Scholars’ passions with an existing community need. Many projects address inclusion and sense of belonging, access to education, mental health and lack of access to opportunities. Since the program’s inception, Scholars have launched 218 projects; there are more than 527 alums in the network.
About McAllen ISD
McAllen ISD is a 2025 winner of the state’s highest rating of an “A” grade and a 2025 winner of the state’s Postsecondary Readiness Distinction. The district is home to 31 campuses and approximately 19,500 students. To learn more about McAllen ISD’s schools and programs, contact Student Outreach at 956-687-MISD (6473).
About Bezos Scholars Program
The Bezos Scholars Program is a year-long leadership development program for rising high school seniors and educators from across the United States and Africa. It begins with an opportunity to attend the Aspen Ideas Festival and continues through the following school year when Bezos Scholars return home, participate in virtual trainings, and launch sustainable community change projects that transform their schools and communities. For over 20 years, Scholar teams have mobilized communities around various critical issues. To see full Scholar biographies and photos, please visit the Meet the Scholars page of the BSP website.
PHOTO CAPTION
Pictured at top are (at left) Lamar Academy librarian Ariana Guel and Lamar Academy International Baccalaureate Programme student (home school Memorial High) Vrinda Patel.