News release from the Spherion Bryan/College Station office:
Spherion Staffing and Recruiting (Spherion) of Bryan-College Station is proud to announce that Estrella Ruiz Sotelo, a 2025 graduate of International Leadership of Texas Aggieland High School, has been named a recipient of the annual Sandy Mazur Excellence in Leadership Scholarship. The $5,000 scholarship was established in honor of Spherion’s former President, Sandy Mazur, recognizing her unwavering dedication to leadership, excellence, and service to others. Since its creation in 2019, the scholarship has supported students pursuing higher education, technical training, or skilled trades, reflecting Spherion’s commitment to helping students achieve their educational and career goals.
Ruiz Sotelo has left an impressive legacy of leadership at the International Leadership Texas Aggieland High School. As president of her school’s ASP Ambassador Club, she organized initiatives to celebrate academic achievements, expand access to SAT prep, and connect students with college representatives, sparking a culture of academic growth across campus. She also championed equity and inclusion through her Spanish Community Internship, inviting Hispanic organizations from Texas A&M to engage students during Hispanic Heritage Month. Beyond the classroom, she excelled as both an athlete and team manager in basketball and soccer, while balancing work at her local H-E-B grocery store. A proud first-generation student, Ruiz Sotelo is currently attending the Mays Business School at Texas A&M University and hopes to empower the next generation of Hispanic leaders by creating opportunities for underserved communities.
“We’re incredibly proud to support Estrella on her journey as she continues on to Texas A&M University,” said Katherine Kleemann, franchise owner of Spherion in Bryan-College Station. “I have no doubt she will continue to inspire her peers and make a lasting impact on the Bryan-College Station community and beyond. Estrella’s determination and passion for uplifting others reflect the stellar leadership this scholarship was designed to honor.”
The award honors students like Ruiz Sotelo, who demonstrate the qualities that Sandy Mazur embodied during her 18-year career at Spherion—excellence, leadership, and a passion for making a difference. Created in her honor, the scholarship reflects Mazur’s “pay it forward” spirit, which continues to inspire teams at hundreds of Spherion offices nationwide and helps the next generation carry forward Mazur’s dedication to community service.
The Spherion Scholarship Advisory Board, led by franchisees Beth DeLaney and Michael Chalmers, coordinated with the Ohio-based nonprofit The Richland County Foundation, which disburses grants for charitable organizations, to review hundreds of applicants and choose the finalists. From there, a group of franchise community representatives, including DeLaney, Chalmers and Mazur, select the winners. With the names and locations removed, the group reviewed the applicants and chose Ruiz Sotelo as one of five scholarship recipients.
“Celebrating Estrella as a recipient of the Sandy Mazur Excellence in Leadership Scholarship is such a joy,” said Mazur. “Her achievements, leadership, and dedication to making a difference in her community reflect everything this award stands for. I can’t wait to see the impact Estrella will continue to make as a leader for the next generation. Congratulations again, this recognition is well deserved!”
In addition to Ruiz Sotelo, four other students in Spherion’s community were also honored with $5,000 scholarships.
For more information on Spherion in Bryan-College Station, visit spherion.com/bryan.