Bachelor-Bound and Backed by $25,000

July 7, 2026

Three Dallas College students are bachelor-bound and backed by $25,000 scholarships from the PepsiCo Foundation. 

Tamara Gilreath, Jeremy Romero and Moussa Mukendi were awarded the NextStep Scholarship alongside 17 other community college students from New York, Illinois, California, Florida and Colorado.  

“I cried when I found out that I was a recipient,” said Gilreath, a mother of eight who started college in her 40s. “It’s an honor and a privilege to have people read a small paragraph about you and say, ‘You know what? That’s someone that I want to invest in.’ I think that’s really something special.” 

Mukendi agreed. “Winning this scholarship reminds me that organizations believe in my potential, which motivates me to work even harder and give back to others in the future.” 

The NextStep Scholarship provides financial support and professional development for students seeking bachelor’s degrees in select business and STEM majors. Applicants must have completed 45 credit hours at a partner community college and have a minimum GPA of 2.75. The award pays $12,500 the first year and is renewable for a second year.  

“This scholarship really took a weight off of me,” said Romero, who is transferring to Texas A&M. “I really enjoy going to school a lot, and now I have the financial freedom to explore and take advantage of all opportunities a university offers.” 

NextStep Scholarship applications open annually in January and start the following Fall semester.  

About Dallas College’s NextStep Scholars 

Tamara Gilreath 

Gilreath started college directly after high school with a summer English class at Mountain View. She and her husband married that fall, and she turned her focus toward her growing family. Nearly 30 years later, a layoff and the memory of a cousin who died of breast cancer brought her back.  

“My cousin and I were the same age when she passed, and I said, ‘You know, I have more years behind me than in front,’” Tamara said. “If anything, her life taught me that I need to start living and start accomplishing goals and dreams that I’ve put off.” 

Tamara, 49, is already taking classes in the Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences Program at the University of North Texas. She recently decided that her studies will continue through a doctorate. She also received scholarships from the Jeannette Rankin Foundation and the Microsoft Last Mile Education Fund.  

“I've always put myself on the back burner. That’s just what moms do,” Tamara said. “So, if there’s any encouragement I could offer to someone who’s my age or in a similar situation, it’s this: Put yourself first. Invest in yourself. And when you invest in yourself and believe that you’re worth investing in, then other people, I believe, will see that. And you’ll be amazed at the help in the community that you’ll inherit as a result.” 

Moussa Mukendi 

Mukendi, 26, earned an Associate of Science at Dallas College and will study computer engineering at Texas A&M.  

“My goal is to become a computer hardware engineer specializing in computer architecture, VLS and AI hardware,” he said. “I hope to design the next generation of processors and AI accelerators at companies like NVIDIA, Apple or AMD while creating technologies that improve people’s lives.” 

He said Dallas College gave him a strong foundation for success as a transfer student.  

“Dallas College challenged me academically while providing incredible support from faculty, advisors and scholarship programs,” he said. “I also appreciated the diverse community and the opportunities to grow both personally and professionally.” 

Jeremy Romero 

Romero, 20, earned an Associate of Science and is transferring to Texas A&M.  

He plans to pursue electrical engineering and a career working on power grids and systems, but a summer internship at General Dynamics has him considering defense applications as well.  

“Community college gave me that time to really understand what I wanted to do, and that was electrical engineering in the end,” he said. “What Dallas College really promised me was the engineering academy through Dallas College to Texas A&M. That was a really great opportunity.” 

Students in the Texas A&M Engineering Academy at Dallas College are co-enrolled in both schools. Romero took core curriculum classes at Dallas College and engineering classes from A&M faculty at the Brookhaven Campus. He will transfer to A&M’s Engineering School in College Station to complete a bachelor’s degree.

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