Spring 2024 Scholarship and Grant Recipients

Math Medic Foundation is thrilled to showcase our 2024 spring scholarship and grant awardees! All of our recipients have financial need or serve students with financial needs. 70% of our scholarship recipients are female, while 80% are non-white. We are supporting those in need while improving equitable representation in math-related fields. Please read about these deserving students and teachers below.

Fund Your Future Scholarship - $2,000 per year for two years

Luke Celentano, Haddam, Connecticut, will attend Central Connecticut State University this Fall to study secondary mathematics education. "This scholarship proves to me that all of my years of hard work was worth it! It makes me feel so proud, happy, and grateful. I hope that this scholarship will allow me to someday become the math teacher that students look up to!" Luke hopes to become a high school mathematics teacher and return to his alma mater, Haddam-Killingworth High School, to teach.

Victoria Johnson, Chesterton, Indiana, will attend Indiana University Bloomington to study informatics and data science. "I am so grateful for this scholarship. Up until now, I never found myself enjoying math. I was always the girl who felt it was over my head and I wasn’t smart enough for it. I can remember countless hours spent at the kitchen table with my mom, feeling so frustrated over math. However, this past year I’ve grown so much. I entered this year having no idea what a z score was or how power related to mathematics at all, but I’m so glad I leapt out of my comfort zone. For the first time, I felt the rush of getting a problem right, and knowing exactly what to do with the information given. I absolutely enjoyed studying for the AP Statistics Exam, watching every AP Live Review session and knowing all my hard work will pay off. This scholarship has been a benchmark to what I can achieve when I put my all into something, and I will forever be honored to have won it. This summer I enrolled in Finite Mathematics to stay sharp with my skills and I’m excited to give it my all. "

Jingwen (Angela) Zheng, Fullerton, California, will attend Harvey Mudd College to study engineering as she aspires to become an electrical engineer. "I am thrilled to learn that I was selected to receive this scholarship. Being awarded this scholarship will largely help me pay my college tuition, and save me time from working for more meaningful activities, such as volunteering, researching, and doing internships."

Tony Pham, Kentwood, Michigan, will attend Michigan State University to study biomedical laboratory science as he pursues a career in public health. "Receiving this scholarship means a lot for me as it really will allow me to continue my education and be able to attend without worrying on how much I will be paying for college. With this scholarship that is invested in me I hope to continue work in my respective community and hope to help in fixing health disparities that challenge our nation."

Raven Porter, Freeport, Texas, will attend the University of Houston to study chemical engineering. "Being awarded this scholarship makes me happy, proving my hard work is finally paying off. This scholarship could help me make an impact on the engineering industry and my family by being a first-generation student at college."

Jahrah Davis, Douglasville, Georgia, will attend the University of West Georgia to study mathematics with a concentration in statistics. She would like to work in government as a statistician to help improve public systems. "Being awarded this scholarship makes me excited about the future. To study the subject I love and go into a field that helps people without financial strain means that I can focus on my studies with less stress and more passion. Receiving this scholarship is an honor and I am immensely grateful."

Lucan Jones, Townsend, Delaware, will attend the University of Delware to study biological engineering. "When I arrived in the US last year, my long-term career goal was to become a General Practitioner and it still is. However, since I arrived on a dependent VISA I was unable to acquire a SSN and apply for financial aid through FAFSA. As a result, I turned down offers from Temple, Penn State, Howard, and several other universities out of Delaware as I could not afford out-of-state tuition even with their scholarship offers. I even started to lose hope of pursuing a higher education here in Delaware as despite the scholarship offers I still needed financial aid to afford in-state tuition. This scholarship provides hope and security in the upcoming hurdle of affording the in-state tuition and additional expenses at The University of Delaware, without pressuring my mother financially. I intend to use this support to continue climbing to greater academic success. I am again grateful for this opportunity and will apply it in every way possible to help afford a higher education."

Elizabeth Papalotzi, Valley Park, Missouri, will attend Washington University in St. Louis to study environmental biology and mathematics. "I really want to work in data collection and large scale environmental projects that can help with climate change! Being awarded this scholarship is so exciting for me! I am so grateful that I can use my time to focus on my studies at Wash U. Thank you so much Math Medic Foundation!"

Riya Pattan, Jefferson City, Missouri, will attend Washington University in St. Louis to study electrical engineering and environmental engineering. "Being awarded this scholarship means everything to me. I can now have more assistance when paying for tuition, which will go a long way for me and my family." Riya wants to impact the world by creating renewable sources of energy and sustainable technologies.

Paul Myers Scholarship for Data Science - $4,000

Nancy Orozco Rosales, New Brunswick, New Jersey, will attend Ramapo College of New Jersey to study data science. "Never in a million years did I ever expect to open my phone to see the congratulations to this scholarship or any scholarship if I’m being honest. The excitement that passed through my entire body is unexplainable. This scholarship truly allowed me to walk through this door where the college I attend is awaiting for me on the other side - with less tension on my shoulders and that of my dad as well. To be able to encourage my friends to just give it a shot because you never know what could possibly happen, this is truly a blessing. I am just at a loss for words. "

Teacher Grants - over $12,000 awarded

Benson Elementary School, Benson, North Carolina, received a grant to fund a Julia Robinson Math Festival at their school. "We are a Title One school located in rural Eastern North Carolina. We have recently come out of "low performing" status as designated by our End of Grade testing. We have three subgroups of focus (Black students, Students with Disabilities, English Language Learners) for our School Improvement plan that were selected based on a lack of growth as measured by our state End of Grade testing. We would like to expand our students' experiences with math and make math fun for them and their families."

Public Service Community School, Los Angeles, California, received a grant for AVID training and assessment platforms for four teachers in their mathematics department. "The mission of AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) is to close the opportunity gap in education."

Fahad Aziz, Wuhan City, Chinga, received a grant for online mathematics professional development to improve outcomes for students in his school.

Berri Bowers, Gastonia, North Carolina, received a grant for whiteboards and markers to help implement a Thinking Classroom.

Sachaye Walker, Antioch, Texas, received a grant for training from the Bureau of Education & Research, supplies for intervention students, and membership to the National Council for Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM). "Pinch me, am I dreaming! Thank you so much! I am so excited and grateful for your help!"

Thank you to all of the supporters of Math Medic Foundation for making these scholarship and grant awards possible!

Please join Math Medic Foundation in our mission to improve math outcomes for all. You can contact us to get involved or donate here.

07/08/2024