As I progressed through school, I gained opportunities simply by doing well in classes and participating in extracurricular activities. For instance, I received college credit during high school by passing AP exams, and I traveled on all-expenses-paid trips by competing in and serving as a state officer for the Texas Association of Future Educators. Most importantly, however, because of my dedication to academics, I graduated in the top 10 percent of my senior class, which ensured my automatic acceptance to any public Texas university. These opportunities ignited my interest in education as a career path.

Although I am a first-generation college student, deciding to attend Texas A&M University was not difficult. My ultimate concern in choosing a university was the amount of financial assistance I would receive. Thankfully, Texas A&M offered me scholarships including a Century Scholarship, Regents’ Scholarship and the Mildred K. Leitz Scholarship in the College of Education and Human Development. These have made an incredible difference in my life, and I hope that through teaching, I can positively impact the lives of my future students the way the donors of these scholarships have greatly impacted mine.

Breaking the Mold

Attending Texas A&M has benefited me in numerous ways, but I am most grateful for its effect on my family—particularly on my younger siblings. My sister Carmen is now a freshman interdisciplinary studies major at Texas A&M, while my nine-year-old brother Manny is already determined to become an Aggie too. Because of the opportunities afforded by a good education, my siblings and I can break the cycle of poverty that has plagued my family for generations.

Now in my senior year, I will graduate in May with a bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies with a focus on fourth through eighth grade language arts and social studies. Through its curricula, the College of Education and Human Development has prepared me to teach students of all types, given me insight into the best teaching methods, and further solidified the importance of education that my mom and grandparents made clear to me long ago.

I can’t wait for my first day in the classroom, when I’m standing at the front instead of sitting behind a desk. I can’t wait to see eager faces staring back at me. I want to be a teacher because I understand the crucial role education plays in the lives of students and in society, since educational gaps create some of our nation’s most serious societal problems. Education can not only shape students’ minds, but also has the potential to shape their entire lives. There is so much aside from book learning that can be gained from the classroom: hope, freedom and chances.

Education was my way out, and I will let other students know that it can be their way out too. I will be there to let them know that through education, they can be anything they want to be and live any life they want to live. That, I think, is the true responsibility of our nation’s educational system and teachers everywhere.

Currently, the average debt of a College of Education and Human Development graduate is $23,000—a number the college hopes to cut in half through private scholarship support.

New Scholarship Program Launches 

The College of Education and Human Development recently launched its Dean’s Education Scholars Program, which will provide outstanding students $4,000 in financial aid each year.

Paige Manzella ’21, one of four inaugural scholars, was awarded the Shirley and Joe Swinbank ’74/Sprint Waste Dean’s Education Scholars Award. She is a K-6 interdisciplinary studies major and hopes to teach second grade.

“I chose this career track because I can shape the minds of younger children and set them up for a successful path in life,” she said. “I hope to teach my students more than just core material—things such as sharing, kindness and manners. Being a teacher is important because you are a student’s foundation for both academics and life values.

“Students need role models in their lives who they trust and who they can rely on. As a teacher, I believe it is okay to ‘play mom’ or ‘play friend’ on occasion, because you never know: You might be all that student has.”

The college hopes to raise 50 Dean’s Education Scholarships, which can be established with a $100,000 endowed gift to the Texas A&M Foundation. You can set preferences for a certain major or a first-generation student. Learn more by contacting Jody Ford '99, senior director of development, at (979) 847-8655 or jford@txamfoundation.com.