Commitment To Care
White Coats, Local Roots and a Legacy of Giving: Hunt School of Nursing Welcomes 80 Future Nurses, Celebrates $275,000 Gift From Borderplex Couple
Gift from Ed and Margie Escudero to support future nurses and cancer patients at Texas Tech Health El Paso
Dozens of lives were changed Tuesday, Sept. 2, at the Hunt School of Nursing White Coat Ceremony.
Each white coat, placed gently over a new student’s shoulders, symbolized the start of a lifelong journey in nursing — and the compassion, professionalism and dedication expected along the way.
The ceremony welcomed the Fall 2025 cohort of 80 students to the Hunt School of Nursing’s 16-month Accelerated B.S.N. program — a fast-track path to high-demand, high-impact careers in the region.
But this year’s event also featured a powerful surprise that underscored the ceremony’s deeper meaning.
During the event, longtime El Paso community leader Ed Escudero and his wife, Margie, a former nurse and proud Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (Lubbock) nursing alum, were honored in a moving moment of recognition. A member of the Texas Tech Health El Paso President’s Development Council, Margie has long been an advocate for expanding access to education and health care.
Ed, president and CEO of High Desert Capital LLC and chairman of the board for El Paso Electric, spoke emotionally about Margie’s 15-year career as a critical care-certified nurse in both hospital and school settings, and the couple’s shared belief in education as the ultimate game-changer.
In a gesture that captured their spirit of giving, the Escuderos announced a combined $275,000 gift to Texas Tech Health El Paso:
$250,000 to support the construction of the Margie and Ed Escudero Medical Oncology Clinic Reception area at the future Fox Cancer Center.
$25,000 to grow the Ed and Margie Escudero Endowed Nursing Scholarship and to sponsor white coats for Hunt School of Nursing students.
“This gift isn’t just about honoring Margie’s past as a nurse,” Ed said. “It reflects the values we share as a couple and our commitment to advancing health care in our community. Supporting both the Hunt School of Nursing and the Fox Cancer Center is our way of ensuring families here have access to the care and compassion they deserve.”
The Escuderos made a generous gift to the university in 2020 to establish a permanent scholarship endowment for Hunt School of Nursing students. Their $20,000 contribution was matched 1-to-1 by the President’s Excellence Fund, and the endowed fund has since grown to approximately $53,000.
Our Borderplex community is well-represented in this year’s Hunt School of Nursing class. It consists of:
76 students from El Paso
One each from Clint, Horizon City, and Sunland Park, New Mexico
One from Urbana, Ohio
By recruiting heavily from El Paso and neighboring communities, the Hunt School of Nursing continues its mission to “grow our own” nurses to serve the region’s unique health care needs. The school has graduated over 1,500 nurses, with 90% remaining in our Borderplex to practice.
Born and raised in El Paso, Sahlma Hermandez began her academic journey at UTEP, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in biology with a biomedical concentration during the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, she is starting a new chapter in the Hunt School of Nursing’s accelerated B.S.N. program. For her, the White Coat Ceremony represents more than just the start of nursing school—it’s the realization of a dream she once thought was out of reach.
“Being here is just an absolute dream,” Hernandez said. “I’m 27 years old, and usually by this age a lot of people already know what they want to do with their lives. For me to start over again was scary, but I’m just happy to be here. I want to serve as an example that if I can do it, anybody can no matter their age.”
She said the program will have a lasting impact because graduates will enter the workforce ready to meet the community’s health care needs.
Each student’s white coat is embroidered with the Hunt School of Nursing seal, and the coat represents a cloak of compassion and professionalism, made possible by community sponsors like the Escuderos. Their support ensures students begin their training with a sense of pride, purpose and deep connection to the community they serve.
Together, the Escuderos represent the power of legacy, philanthropy and local leadership — a shared journey that continues to inspire students and uplift the region they call home.
The Future of Cancer Care in El Paso is HERE
The first comprehensive cancer center to serve West Texas and our Borderplex region, the Fox Cancer Center will transform how we treat cancer for our families, friends and neighbors. Breaking ground Sept. 17, 2025, on the Texas Tech Health El Paso campus, the center will open the door to compassionate, comprehensive care. It will elevate life-saving research and bring opportunities for innovative clinical trials in the community we call home. Once completed, the Fox Cancer Center will spare patients and families the emotional and financial burden of traveling far for treatment, ensuring cancer warriors can receive world-class cancer care close to home.
To learn more, visit www.ttuhscepimpact.org/fox-cancer-center
About Texas Tech Health El Paso
Texas Tech Health El Paso serves 108 counties in West Texas and is a federally designated Hispanic-Serving Institution dedicated to preparing the next generation of health care heroes. Established as an independent university in 2013, Texas Tech Health El Paso is a uniquely innovative destination for medical, nursing, biomedical sciences and dental education.
With a focus on excellence in health care education, research, and clinical service, Texas Tech Health El Paso has graduated over 2,600 professionals over the past decade. For more information, visit ttuhscepimpact.org.