Empowerment of Community and Action Foundation, Inc. and Southwest Texas College Partner to Send Students to NVIDIA’s Global Technology Conference
“Southwest Texas College is grateful to the Empowerment of Community and Action Foundation and NVIDIA for investing in our cybersecurity students and faculty,” said Dr. Hector Gonzales, SWTX President. “This partnership reflects our shared commitment to expanding opportunity and preparing the next generation of technology leaders for our community and beyond.”
GTC attracts executives and engineers from major global companies, including Microsoft, Intel, Dell, Google, and many others, making it a rare opportunity for students from this area to engage directly with the forefront of technological advancement. Throughout the conference, the SWTX delegation will be exposed to emerging fields such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, quantum computing, robotics, and next‑generation computing systems.
Through ECAF’s growing relationship with NVIDIA, the students will also receive private tours of NVIDIA’s offices and research labs. NVIDIA engineers will brief the group on cutting‑edge work happening across multiple departments, offering students a firsthand look at the technologies shaping the future.
ECAF is fully funding all travel, hotel accommodations, meals, and conference registration fees for the students and instructor. This sponsorship reflects ECAF’s mission to expand educational access, empower young people, and strengthen communities through exposure to high‑impact learning experiences.
“The purpose of this initiative is not only to show our students what exists in today’s technology landscape, but to help them envision what is coming tomorrow,” said founder and president of ECAF, Inc. Abelardo (Lalo) Castillo. “Our executive board of directors hope this experience inspires them to continue their education, pursue advanced careers, and bring their knowledge back to uplift our community.”
ECAF’s partnership with NVIDIA continues to open doors for students in Uvalde and the surrounding region. By investing in youth and expanding access to world‑class opportunities, ECAF remains committed to empowering the next generation of leaders, innovators, and community builders.
“Our partnership with NVIDIA is opening doors that our students could once only imagine. When young people from Uvalde walk into the world’s leading technology conference and are welcomed by the engineers shaping the future, it tells them that they belong in those rooms. ECAF is investing in these students so they can see what is possible, pursue their education with confidence, and return to strengthen the very community that raised them. This is how we build generational opportunity—one student, one experience, one partnership at a time.”
— Abelardo (Lalo) Castillo, Founder and President, Empowerment of Community and Action Foundation, Inc.
To learn more about the Cybersecurity Specialist Associate of Applied Science and Certificate program at SWTX contact Hector Rivera, SWTX Program Coordinator / Director at hfrivera@swtxc.edu or at (830) 703-1595.