WTU Awards $80,000 in Scholarships, Invests in Future DC Teachers

(Metropolitan Washington Council, AFL-CIO)Stepping up their efforts to cultivate “the next generation of educators,” the Washington Teachers’ Union (WTU) on Tuesday doubled their scholarship award pool to $80,000 and increased the number of recipients. Four DC public high school seniors were awarded $20,000 scholarships to further their education and pursue teaching careers in DC public schools. “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. “I want to be a teacher because without DCPS I wouldn’t be who I am today,” said Angela Tracie Johnson, who’s graduating from Theodore Roosevelt Senior High School. “I want to be a part of a school system that not only cares about the students’ education, but also the students’ well-being,” added Johnson, who will be attending West Virginia University in the fall. Other awardees were Ann Elise Trafford, School Without Walls High School; Bruce Jamel Mann, McKinley Technology High School, and Racquel Waltower, Cardozo Senior High School. Recently-elected Ward 5 Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie, himself a graduation of the DC public school system, joined in honoring the scholarship recipients, saying “I look forward to working with our aspiring teachers to help create an even brighter future for our students in DC public schools.”