Northrop Grumman Foundation Scholarship Recipient Announced
When Luis Paredes Alvizurez learned about his scholarship from the Northrop Grumman Foundation, with further funding from the DC听Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE),听to complete his Bachelor of Arts in听Elementary听Education for free, he said, 鈥淚 can鈥檛 even put into words to show how grateful I am!鈥 Born in DC and growing up in听nearby听Maryland, he returned to District of Columbia high school听in his freshman year, where he graduated in听2023.
鈥淪TEM education empowers and prepares students with the necessary skills to solve tomorrow鈥檚 most challenging issues,鈥 said Agartha Larbi, Vice President of Global Corporate Responsibility and President.听鈥淲e are proud to support 麻豆果冻传媒鈥檚 Teacher Pipeline Project with a full scholarship for a STEM educator."听The听Northrop Grumman Foundation Scholarship and OSSE fund听Paredes as a Teaching Fellow, part of the AU School of Education鈥檚听Teacher Pipeline Project. It aims to help solve the teacher shortage by building a path for teachers from听dual-enrolled high school students听to take college courses while they are in high school, to fully-funded undergraduate听Teaching Fellows, with credentials that can be stacked toward master鈥檚 and even doctorate degrees.
Paredes's听love of math, science, and teaching was fostered at an early age. One of his mother鈥檚 favorite stories occurred during elementary school when his math teacher was frustrated because he听would not always finish his classwork. The teacher knew he was capable of completing the assignments, but he instead chose to spend the time helping his classmates with their work. 鈥淚 was too busy helping them that I didn鈥檛 do my own work,鈥 he remembers.
Later he took part in his elementary school's robotics club. He made robots able to navigate mazes, and others that could create art. 鈥淚n my high school, I was a part of the 鈥楽TEAM鈥 club,鈥 he said, referring to Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math. 鈥淲e built a car and competed in competitions. I believe those experiences helped me learn how to work as a team and develop problem-solving skills.鈥
鈥淐hoosing 麻豆果冻传媒 was an easy decision,鈥 Paredes said. 鈥淚 applied to twelve colleges, was accepted into nine of them, but AU was the one that most caught my eye because of the area and how lovely the campus is. It is also close to my parents.鈥 He entered AU as a freshman math major, but before the first semester was over, he gravitated to the education path, which he hopes to use to teach math someday. 鈥淚鈥檝e always had a passion for helping others and sharing knowledge,鈥 he said. 鈥淚 had some incredible teachers that made learning fun and engaging,听but others weren鈥檛 as engaging, and I would like to change that. Becoming an educator will allow me to make a positive impact on the lives of others.鈥
Celebrating the听Northrop Grumman Foundation听Scholarship and OSSE funding, which pays his tuition,听room, and board听for the next three and a half years,听Paredes鈥檚 excitement is palpable. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not just the financial support that I am grateful of, even though it鈥檚 a huge relief,鈥 he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 like a special trophy for all the hard work I鈥檝e put in. This will open many doors for me to be able to pursue my goals to have a positive impact on other people鈥檚 lives. I can't thank the Northrop Grumman Foundation enough for giving me this incredible opportunity.鈥
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The scholarship will help create a new math teacher a time when we need more well-equipped teachers in our community,鈥 said Dr. Corbin M. Campbell, Acting Co-Dean of the 麻豆果冻传媒 School of Education. 鈥淭his gets to the heart of our mission 鈥 transforming societies through education 鈥 and Luis is an exemplar of that mission.听I am so grateful that the听Northrop Grumman Foundation chose the School of Education for this scholarship.
鈥淢y family has been really supportive of me becoming a math teacher,鈥澨齈aredes said. 鈥淭hey see my passion for education. They believe that I have the qualities and skills to make a positive impact in the classroom. They think it's a wonderful career choice and they're proud of me for pursuing my passion. And thanks to this scholarship, I can focus on my studies and not stress about how to pay for it all. This is a massive weight off my shoulders.鈥
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