Gianmarco Vergel was born in New York City, New York, in June of 2006. He was three years old when he moved to Keene, Texas, where his dad, Alfredo, was called to be an associate librarian for Southwestern Adventist University. At a young age, Gianmarco had a passion for wildlife and nature. He could have a conversation with anyone about the natural world, and with the sweet faith of a nine-year-old, he would always defend God as Creator and would argue with anyone who thought otherwise. He would always say that when he grew up, he wanted to be a marine biologist or a paleontologist. 

In August of 2015, nine-year-old Gianmarco was diagnosed with leukemia. Everyone rallied around the Vergel family by praying, making visits to the hospital, sharing food, and doing various other things. The family had hope, because where there is breath, there is hope. However, those dreams of becoming a marine biologist or paleontologist were cut short when, in January of 2016, Gianmarco took his last breath. The family decided to keep Gianmarco's legacy of his passion for the natural world alive, so they created a scholarship at Southwestern Adventist University in honor of their son called the Gianmarco Vergel Scholarship. It is awarded to a biology student who has the same passion for learning as their son did. It has been an honor for the family to help students in this capacity, and they wish to continue doing so for years to come.

Scholarship award requirements

This scholarship is awarded to a student studying biology.

Student Recipients

2020-2021- Caroline Torres

2019-2020- Benjamin Streit

2018-2019- Garret Maywether

2017-2018- Ana Martinez

2016-2017- Edwin Arevalo