Ten Texas A&M Students Awarded Charles Butt Scholarship For Aspiring Teachers
The Raise Your Hand Texas Foundation today announced ten students attending or planning to attend Texas A&M University are among 100 recipients of the Charles Butt Scholarship for Aspiring Teachers.
The inaugural cohort was chosen from a pool of 350 candidates through a competitive selection process, which included a written application, interviews, group activities, and a demonstration teaching lesson. All scholars are committed to teaching in high-needs Texas public schools or in hard-to-fill subject areas. They will receive an $8,000 scholarship each year, as well as ongoing training, mentorship, and networking opportunities facilitated by the Foundation.
The scholars who will be attending Texas A&M University include:
Anna Fedewa, Savannah Gibson, Abigail Gwosdz, Hope Harrod, Bekah Howard, Macy Melton, McKenna Mohr, Byrklin Quisenberry, Amy Whelchel and Kathryn Wolf.
“Teaching is one of society’s most important professions and strong teachers are critical to the future of Texas,” said Charles Butt, founder of Raise Your Hand Texas and the Holdsworth Center, and chairman and CEO of H-E-B. “I am thrilled to welcome this first cohort of Charles Butt Scholars and believe this initiative is an important first step in encouraging our best and brightest to consider a career as a teacher.”
The scholarship is part of the Raising Texas Teachers initiative, a 10-year, $50 million project designed to support university-based teacher preparation programs in addressing the needs of 21st century students, elevate the status of the teaching profession, and inspire top students to pursue teaching.
“Texas’ future depends on our ability to deliver a high-quality education to all students and this critical work begins with an effective teacher in every classroom,” said Shari Albright, President of the Raise Your Hand Texas Foundation. ”Raising Texas Teachers will ensure some of our most promising future teachers receive the rigorous classroom training and support they need to effectively serve our students and our state.”
Recognized as a leader in teacher preparation in Texas, Texas A&M University is one of 10 premier university programs chosen to partner with Raising Texas Teachers in its inaugural year. Over time, the scholarship program will grow to include at least 500 scholars annually and expand to include leadership development opportunities for the state’s top high school students interested in a career in education.
For more, visit: RaisingTexasTeachers.org.
The Raise Your Hand Texas Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that supports programmatic initiatives structured to identify, pilot, and scale systemic improvements in public education. Visit RaiseYourHandTexas.org to learn more.
About the Writer
Ashley is the Media Relations Coordinator and responsible for news coverage in the Department of Teaching, Learning and Culture as well as the Department of Educational Psychology.
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Fundraising
To learn more about how you can assist in fundraising, contact Amy Hurley, Director of Development ahurley@txamfoundation.com or 979-847-9455