The Palm Beach County Council of PTA/PTSA has awarded four scholarships to active PTA volunteers. This year, the county council chose two graduating seniors and two adult volunteers to each receive $500 to help offset the cost of their future education endeavors. Winners were chosen based on an original essay and letters of recommendation.
The student applicants’ essays responded to the prompt “Being a PTA member means…” while adult applicants described in their essays what “PTA… Empowering Families!” means to them.
Emily MacMillan is an active PTA volunteer and teacher at Binks Forest Elementary School. She feels that she must be willing to become involved with students and parents beyond academic guidance. She shared how her PTA and school come together to provide a great deal of support to their families. “It’s an honor and a privilege to be working with such a hard-working PTA,” she said.
For the past three years, MacMillan has volunteered at many of the school’s events and enjoys being a part of bringing families together. “My involvement with PTA gives me the ability to make valuable contributions to my class discussion and my coursework,” MacMillan said.
Stephanie Sanders is an active PTA volunteer and teacher at Addison Mizner Elementary School. She is currently working on her master’s degree in educational leadership and looks forward to becoming an administrator one day. “One day, when I am an administrator, I will count on the PTA to empower the families at my school,” she said.
Sanders included in her essay that strong school-family partnerships lead to increased student achievement, and a solid PTA is necessary for this to take place.
Taylor Combs, a senior and active student volunteer at Park Vista High School, will be attending the University of Florida in the fall. She is looking forward to furthering her education and becoming a doctor and surgeon in the future.
Combs said that being involved with PTA has taught her that the greatest gift in life is the ability to give. “It means that others always come before you,” she said.
Kaitlyn Doering, a senior at Boca Raton High School, has been involved with her PTSA for four years. She attends the monthly meetings and enjoys offering suggestions for school improvements and receiving updates on programs and events. “PTSA values our opinions, and we are making a real contribution to the success of our school,” she said.
Doering is looking forward to being an elementary school teacher in her future. “There is nothing more rewarding than being a part of changing the lives of children and that is the best part of being a PTA member,” she said.
