Anita Brissa Loera of Texarkana, Texas, has been selected as the 2024 Academic All-Star at the University of Arkansas Hope-Texarkana (UAHT). In her time at UAHT, Loera has been a member of Phi Theta Kappa, an EDGE Scholar, and named to the Chancellor’s Honor Roll. “One thing I will always remember from my time at UAHT is the help and encouragement I received from my College Life Skills professor, Mrs. Agnes Tirrito,” Anita said. “Early on, I became worried about passing one of my science classes. However, Mrs. Tirrito encouraged me and taught me study and time management skills that helped me succeed in all my classes. Had it not been for her help and encouragement, I don’t think I would have made it. She taught me skills I can carry with me for the rest of my life.” Loera is also active in the community. She volunteers in the local community garden and serves as a faith-based youth group leader.

Anita will graduate from UAHT in the spring of 2025 with an Associate of Arts degree. She plans to transfer to the University of Arkansas in Little Rock to pursue a degree in nursing. Her long-range goal is to own a mental health nursing practice. Anita’s passion for nursing was developed by spending time with her grandparents in the hospital. She recalls thinking that the doctors caring for her grandparents were superheroes. However, the more she observed the work of the nurses in caring for her grandparents, she concluded that the nurses were the guardians of care for her family members. “Observing the care those nurses gave my grandparents opened my eyes to my true purpose in life, to become a nurse myself,” Loera said. “Immediately after I earned my high school diploma, I enrolled in UAHT to begin pursuing my goal of becoming a nurse. As soon as I walked on campus, I was met with encouragement. I have been pushed to improve every day since I started at UAHT. As a result, I will be the first person in my family to have a college degree.”

The Academic All-Star Program is a prestigious initiative that acknowledges the academic and service accomplishments of Arkansas' two-year college students. As a recipient, Anita will be awarded a $500 scholarship for her final semester at UAHT and a full-tuition transfer scholarship to any Arkansas public four-year university.

Please join everyone at UAHT in congratulating Anita Brissa Loera on her accomplishments.