Twelve students and aspiring teachers from Our Lady of the Lake University have been named Charles Butt Scholars and will receive a combined $96,000 in scholarships from the Raise Your Hand Texas Foundation.

Eight recipients are seeking elementary teacher certification: senior Brandon Abbate, freshman Carla Velarde, junior Jose Neri, sophomore Julieanna Luna, senior Julia Lewis, sophomore Rebekah Wynn, senior Rosalinda Balderas and junior Shemetra McGee.
Three recipients are seeking secondary certification: seniors Jacqueline Ojeda, Steven Kramm and Stephanie Esparza. Freshman Lindsey Broussard is pursuing all level art certification.

The students are committed to teaching in Title 1 Texas public schools or in hard-to-fill subject areas. Each will receive an $8,000 scholarship along with training, mentorship and networking opportunities through the Foundation.

“Our scholarship winners completed a rigorous application and interview process,” said Alycia Maurer, PhD, Assistant professor of Education and Education Department Chair. “They were selected based on their leadership, collaboration, teaching demonstration and a profound commitment to working with diverse learners in diverse schools.”

Last year, seven OLLU students received the Charles Butt Scholarship. Now in its second year, the financial award is part of the Raising Texas Teachers initiative, a 10-year, $50 million project designed to support university-based teacher preparation programs and inspire top students to pursue teaching.

Of the 10 participating schools in the program, six were public, four were private. OLLU had the most scholarship recipients among private schools -- and the most of any school in San Antonio.

“As a program, we are proud to be affiliated with the Raise Your Hand Texas Foundation,” Dr. Maurer said. “This financial support is especially important during the last few semesters of our program. Students who are selected as scholars participate in additional professional development and support the education program by helping us recruit other outstanding future teachers.”

This year, 134 students were named Charles Butt Scholars. The scholarship program is scheduled to grow to include 500 recipients each year.