Rut mejia 2021 Winner
$1000 Alpha Beta Scholarship
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August 21, 2021
Dear Alpha Beta Foundation,
I grew up in a small yet big community, I noticed that most of my teachers really did care about their students. Especially my kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Russo. Even as a kid I could tell the love she had for me and my classmates, she had so much passion and patience with us it was really captivating. She is a big reason why I wanted to become an educator.
When I first started working with kids at my camp counselor job, I was in charge of so many kindergarteners and 1st graders, I noticed that it was hard. My eyes opened in a new perspective that I had never experienced before. There were days when I was tired, I wondered how teachers even do this all day for 5 days a week. But I continued to learn and grow. What really motivated me was how when kids saw me, they would smile, laugh, yell my name, and run up to me just to give me a hug. It made my heart feel warm and made all the hard-work worth It. It’s amazing how kids can impact a teacher’s life so much. I want to do the same for them. I want to be an impact in their lives, I want to be the teacher they can count on.
Receiving this scholarship is an amazing opportunity and I am so grateful that I, a 1st generation kid from a Hispanic household, is lucky to have received this wonderful award from the Alpha Beta Foundation, that will help me pay for my textbooks and some of my college tuition at the College Of Staten Island. I am so excited to be part of this big and lovely community and I can't wait for what the future holds for me.
Thank you,
Rut Mejia
Ralph R. McKee
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