The Washington Teachers’ Union (WTU) hosted its annual WTU Scholarship Fund Ceremony awarding $80,000 in scholarships to four DCPS high school graduates who will pursue teaching careers in D.C. Public Schools (DCPS).

“Our students are committed and passionate about education and we are proud that the scholarship fund is available to assist graduating DCPS students,” said WTU President Nathan A. Saunders. “Since its inception, the fund has awarded more than 75 scholarships worth an estimated $1.5 million dollars to deserving DCPS students. Past scholarship recipients have gone on to pursue teaching degrees at various universities including: Yale University, Virginia Commonwealth University and the University of the District of Columbia.”

Councilmembers Kenyan McDuffie and Vincent Orange joined DCPS Chief of Schools John Davis and WTU Scholarship Fund Founder and former WTU President Bill Simons as scholarship recipients Bruce Mann and Angela Johnson shared their inspirations for aiming to return to D.C. public schools to teach.

“I want to be a teacher because without DCPS I wouldn’t be who I am today. I want to be a part of a school system that not only cares about the students’ education, but also the students’ well-being,” said Johnson, who will be attending West Virginia University in the fall.

Johnson, an aspiring kindergarten teacher and graduate of Roosevelt Senior High School, also explained how her grandmother made an impact on her education by enrolling her in a Head Start program at two years old.

Mann, a recent graduate of McKinley Technology High School and an incoming freshman at Bethune-Cookman College in Daytona Beach, FL, will pursue a career in secondary education.

“By placing myself in the classroom, I believe I can encourage students to succeed and develop them into leaders. I have a goal to create solutions for the District’s public school system when I become a teacher,” said Mann.