Raise Your Hand Texas Foundation Awards 134 New Charles Butt Scholarships For Aspiring Teachers

More than 370 candidates submitted a written application, and finalists participated in interviews, group activities, and a demonstration teaching lesson before the 134 new scholars were selected. All scholars are committed to teaching in majority economically disadvantaged 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. Raise Your Hand is hosting the first Charles Butt Scholars Symposium, an all-expenses-paid, two-day annual professional development conference for the scholars at the end of May.

“We are excited to welcome the second round of Charles Butt Scholars into our growing network of aspiring teachers,” said Shari Albright, president of the Raise Your Hand Texas Foundation. “These students are passionate about making a tangible difference for the future of Texas, and they are eager to receive the ongoing mentoring and professional development that will put them in the best position to be the best teachers they can be.”

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.

“We launched the Raising Texas Teachers initiative with the Charles Butt Scholarship for Aspiring Teachers and partnerships designed to support universities committed to the continuous improvement of their teacher preparation programs,” said Thea Ulrich-Lewis, director of the Raising Texas Teachers initiative for the Raise Your Hand Texas Foundation. ”We also are working to raise the stature of the teaching profession through multimedia profiles and feature stories about the Charles Butt scholars, and we recently began releasing content through the ‘Voices on Teaching’ campaign, which showcases different voices — business executives, parents, students, celebrities, educators, and others — sharing the impact and importance of the teaching profession and specific teachers.”

This year’s scholarships were awarded to students attending, or planning to attend, one of 10 partner universities selected by Raise Your Hand for their commitment to rigorous teacher preparation. 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. Click here for a full list of scholars and partner universities.

For more, visit: RaisingTexasTeachers.org.

Our Lady of the Lake University

• Brandon Abbate
• Carla Velarde
• Jacqeline Ojeda
• Jose Neri
• Julia Lewis
• Julienna Luna
• Lindsey Broussard
• Rebekah Wynn
• Rosalinda Balderas
• Shemetra Mcgee
• Stephanie Esparza
• Steven Kramm

Rice University

• Aster O’Leary
• Daniel Koh
• Michael Yow
• Paula Martin

Southern Methodist University

• Priscille Murphy

University of Texas- Rio Grande Valley

• Carolina De Anda
• Diana Salas
• Gasper Garcia
• Idalia Meza
• Keyla Ochoa
• Lariza Vazquez
• Patricia Fuentes
• Roberto Torres
• Roger Juarez
• Rosalinda Flores
• Theresa Garza

Texas Tech University

• Abigail Lindner
• Abigail SoRelle
• Alexus Rodriquez
• Andrea Serrano
• Ashley Patrick
• Bailey Tryon
• Bernadette Sifuentes
• Cayley Guess
• Cheryl Johnson
• Cyndi Segura
• Emily Bowman
• Emily Cisneros
• Jared McGee
• Johana Castillo
• Jordan Springall
• Juan Camacho
• Kayla Jules
• Kristen Meadows
• Lauren Leitch
• Lily Callison
• Macey Waid
• Magaly Moreno
• Mariela Rosales
• Megan Robinson
• Melissa Nunez
• Morven McKay
• Victoria Thackray
• Waleska Town

Texas A&M University

• Abbie Carson
• Alyssa Early
• Aryn Armstrong
• Avery Seago
• Bailee Johnson
• Casey Kirk
• Herbchelle Plumber
• Isabella Miracle
• Jillian Haug
• Kayleigh Holub
• Monica Sattler
• Peyton Morgan
• Samantha Mosqueda
• Sarah Orange
• Stephanie Ingram

Trinity University

• Anastasia White
• Kate Jones-Waddell
• Khaniya Russell
• Collin Gillespie
• Madeline Grimes
• Matthew Colliflower
• Meghan Adolphsen
• Nicholas Champion
• Nicole Spooner
• Stella Affognon

University of North Texas- Dallas

• Alison Sanchez
• Angelika Mctiller
• Cristal Flores
• Eileen Padilla
• Elizabeth Gandara
• Isaac Lleverino
• Jacky Garcia
• Judith Madrigal
• Julia Pughes
• Nathalie Rico
• Tiana Smith
• Vanessa Lopez

University of Houston

• Baohan Phi
• Celester Horton
• Christian Rhodes
• Cristina Romo
• Cynthia Vaca
• Emily O’Neill
• Janeth Barcenas
• Katelynn Watson
• Lawrence Weeden
• Lilia Garcia
• Orlandria Wilson
• Sadie Chamberlain
• Sheyla Reyes
• Zachary Hills

University of Texas – Austin

• Abbie Lemus
• Alexandria Lyons
• Ana Arreaga
• Ana Medina Ramirez
• Angela Alonso
• Annie Nguyen
• Beatriz Valdez
• Brianna Villareal
• Charlene Mitchell
• Christiana Peek
• Danielle Galatoire
• Elena Regalado
• Elisabeth Saunders
• Elyssa Wagner
• Evelyn Stafford
• James Markert
• Kanwal Ahmed
• Kierra Holland
• Laura Orozco Dominguez
• Lauren Samuel
• Lilibeth Ramirez
• Maria Samaniego
• Michael Wesevich
• Morgan Turley
• Sarai Guzman
• Tess Covey
• Veronica Behr

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ABOUT RAISE YOUR HAND TEXAS FOUNDATION

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.

Connect with us on Facebook: /RaiseYourHandTexas
Connect with us on Twitter: @RYHTexas

Contact:

Petri Darby – VP of Marketing
pdarby@ryht.org or (512) 617-2137