On a lovely spring afternoon in mid-April, members of the California Retired Teachers Association, Desert Roadrunner Division 43 chapter, hosted a luncheon and awards event at the Elks Lodge in Indio for 12 deserving high school seniors and their families. Although only eight of the 12 recipients were available to attend the awards ceremony, all 12 will be gifted with a $1,500 scholarship to go toward their upcoming college education.
For the past 41 years, the CalRTA has been awarding deserving graduating teens scholarships to help with their college expenses. This year’s event brought together graduating seniors from a variety of high schools across the Coachella Valley.
According to Denise Muller, the new chair of the CalRTA Scholarship Committee, 26 highly deserving young people applied, but funding would permit only 12 awards. “It was so hard to make the decisions on who we could award because all of these young people are extraordinary students, not only academically, but also as school supporters, athletes and volunteers in the community — they’re excellent in so many areas.”
The first criteria to be eligible for the scholarships is that either one of the student’s parents or grandparents has been a teacher or educator in some capacity. Because the room was filled with so many teachers, current and retired, the mood felt buoyant from the pride so evident in everyone’s smiles. Honoring the outstanding accomplishments of these graduating high schoolers and seeing them rewarded specifically by educators may have brought a few happy tears to some of those moms and dads and grandmas and granddads.
One recipient, Stephanie Kochel from La Quinta High School, plans to attend UC San Diego and will major in mechanical engineering. She is valedictorian of her class and an Ophelia Girl award recipient, and she has worked more than 400 hours of community service during her high school years. “My grandmother was a teacher at the Braille School and taught at Landau Elementary,” she said. “So, it means a lot being awarded by educators.”
In previous years, CalRTA has awarded scholarships of $1,000. This year, however, the Desert Roadrunner Division 43 chapter raised the amount of the award by $500.
Bob Block affirmed the positive views his fellow CalRTA members hold regarding this chapter’s fundraising — especially the final step in the process, the awards themselves: “As educators, we honor kids who are doing well,” he said. “It’s a real credit to them and to all they have done. They deserve it.”
For some of these young scholars, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. For example, Abraham Chapa, also of La Quinta High School, says he plans to major in education. According to his mom, Elizabeth, for her son to accomplish so much during his school years, he had to learn to manage and balance his time and activities. Abraham is not only an outstanding student academically, he’s also a triathlete, and along with participating in cross-country, wrestling and track, he also volunteers at the Coachella Valley Rescue Mission. “I like to be in the kitchen,” he said. In fact, he’s been in the Culinary Arts program all four years.
These young recipients are making the Coachella Valley proud. What a testament to their teachers and counselors at each of their high schools — and especially to the examples set by their very supportive and dedicated families.
To learn more about the California Retired Teachers Association, Desert Roadrunner Division 43 chapter, or to make a donation, visit div43.calrta.org.
Marilyn Jones began her creative life as a writer and photographer. While raising two children, she earned her PhD in English literature from the University of California, Davis. She later worked as a teacher, magazine writer and editor. In recent years, she has expanded her creative energy to include oil painting and poetry. She is a member of the Palm Springs poetry collective Wordkeepers.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: California Retired Teachers Association awards outstanding students
Reporting by Marilyn Jones, Special to The Desert Sun / Palm Springs Desert Sun
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Marilyn Jones, Special to The Desert Sun | USA TODAY Network
