UTEP student Paloma Vianey speaks Thursday as her mural, \u201cA Bridge Uniting Two Countries\u201d is unveiled at the Mexican Consulate.\u00a0Pablo Villa\/El Paso Times<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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(Photo: RUBEN R. RAMIREZ\/EL PASO TIMES)<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/aside>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Ahead of Mexican Independence Day, the University of Texas at El Paso marked its binational partnership with Mexico on Thursday with three events at the Mexican Consulate in El Paso.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

UTEP President Diana Natalicio joined leaders from the Consulate General of Mexico in El Paso and the Mexican state of Durango to highlight partnership efforts between the campus and the country.<\/p>\n

Natalicio helped award scholarships to 12 students from Durango enrolled at UTEP.<\/p>\n

Durango, which is located about 650 miles from Ju\u00e1rez, is the second Mexican state to forge a partnership with UTEP to award scholarships to its students. The students who were awarded scholarships Thursday are the first beneficiaries of that partnership.<\/p>\n

“These (scholarships) are an example of our promise to improve the lives of students in Mexico,” said\u00a0Rub\u00e9n Calder\u00f3n Lujan, secretary of education of the state of Durango. “We hope this helps strengthen relationships between UTEP and Durango.”<\/p>\n

Marcela Aguilera, a master’s student in bioinformatics, was one of the scholarship recipients. She expressed gratitude at being selected for the award, which is worth about $3000 per student per academic year based on the conversion rate, according to UTEP officials.<\/p>\n

$\"Marcela$ Marcela Aguilera, scholarship recepiant.\u00a0(Photo: RUBEN R. RAMIREZ\/EL PASO TIMES)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/aside>\n<\/div>\n

“It makes me feel very special and very thankful that somebody acknowledged our effort,” Aguilera said. “It’s going to help a lot.”<\/p>\n

Also Thursday, a\u00a0mural painted by UTEP student Paloma Vianey was unveiled.<\/p>\n

The artwork will be a permanent fixture on a wall at the consulate.<\/p>\n

The painting, titled “A Bridge Uniting Two Countries,” depicts a lush green landscape as viewed through two windows. One side represents Mexico, while the other represents the United States. An ornate bridge links the two windows, which depict many ethnicities in both countries, signaling a welcoming and diverse environment.<\/p>\n

Vianey is a senior art history major who crosses into the United States from Ju\u00e1rez daily to attend classes. She said she wanted to depict the intricate connection between the two countries through her work.<\/p>\n

“I cross the border every day, and I think that UTEP is very good at representing people from Mexico. They make them feel welcome,” Vianey said. “I’m proud to call myself a Miner. Despite everything that is happening (nationally), students should keep working hard to demonstrate that they are doing something, that they are contributing to society.”<\/p>\n

Marcos Bucio M\u00fajica, the consul general of the Consulate General of Mexico in El Paso, lauded UTEP’s efforts in helping Mexican students obtain their education. He said Natalicio has been a champion in helping more than 60 students from the Instituto de los Mexicanos del Exterior receive scholarships since 2010.<\/p>\n