Seniors Andrew Craig and Paige Wilson receive the prestigious Daniels Fund Full Ride Scholarship.
TJ's two Daniels Fund Scholarship recipients Paige Wilson and Andrew Craig pose with Bronco Daniel Graham and Foundation President, Linda Childears. Photo by Mia Nogueira
On April 14, 2010, Seniors Paige Wilson and Andrew Craig were granted with the Daniel’s Fund Scholarship by TJ Alumni and Denver Bronco Daniel Graham, which provides them with a full ride scholarship to the school of their choice with an intention to complete a bachelor’s degree.
Linda Childears, President of the Daniel’s Fund, attended the award ceremony held in the Future Center at TJ in room 114. “I’m very excited and proud of Paige and Andrew. About two thousand students were nominated for the scholarship, and the filtering process is very rigorous. These two students are truly outstanding,” she said.
The Daniels Fund Scholarship winners are chosen on basis of character, leadership, academics, and the probability that the selected student will contribute to their community. CTE Resource Specialist Danny Showers was one of two teachers to nominate Paige Wilson for the scholarship. “When Paige came to me asking me to recommended her for the scholarship, I couldn’t say no. I know her capabilities better than any teacher at this school, and I know that she qualifies for all of the required traits,” said Showers. “The reference process is very long. I was in the middle of a flight when I decided to fill the survey, and it was so extensive that I decided to spend the night at an airport so I could finish filling it out for Paige,” he continued. Wilson was also nominated by TJ Counselor, Dawn Catalano.
Paige Wilson appreciated the dedication shown by Showers. “I am so excited and happy about this scholarship. All my worries about college have been washed away,” she said. “I found out about the scholarship in early November, from a family friend. I asked Counselor Tabitha Rocha for help and right away she began the application process. I’m so thankful for all the help I received from the teachers at TJ,” she said.
Craig is equally thrilled to be a recipient of the award. “I am so excited, and I truly can’t wait to see the impact that Andrew will make on society. I am so proud of him,” said Ryan Ross, Executive Director of Educational Opportunity Center. Ross recommended Andrew Craig to the Daniel’s Fund Scholarship, and decided to take a full workday to compete his application. “It took us a full work day to complete the survey. I prepared for about three or four hours, so that I could include everything about Andrew that I possibly could,” he said.
Andrew Craig is headed to Yale University to study Theatrical Arts, and Paige Wilson will attend the University of Colorado in Colorado Springs for a year, then will attend the University of Texas to double major in Physical Therapy and Business. You can read more about Andrew here.
“These kids seem great, and I’m very excited for them to not have to worry about finances while they further their education. They need to always keep school first; it’s too easy to get distracted in college, but I know that they will be motivated and will stay focused,” said Daniel Graham. “Education is the most important resource we will ever be exposed to. It’s important to further educate ourselves, and we will be expecting great things from Andrew and Paige,” he said.
