Student Named Coca-Cola Scholar

The student-teacher relationship can be as fleeting as two ships passing in the night, but for most Carmel students, these connections often turn into friendships that last a lifetime. We’re sure that Class of 2021 graduate Eric Acevedo and Dr. Peggy Halloran would certainly agree to the latter.

In March, Eric became one of approximately 150 students nationally to earn the 2021 Coca-Cola Scholarship and will receive $20,000 to assist in his tuition to Washington University in St. Louis. Each year, nearly 100,000 students apply for this honor of distinction from Atlanta-based Coca-Cola.

Shortly after learning of his scholarship, Eric made an award presentation of his own to Dr. Halloran with the Coca-Cola Educator of Distinction Award. This particular honor allows these scholars the opportunity to celebrate teachers and mentors who have had a significant impact on their intellectual and personal development by bestowing them with this award.

“Mrs. Halloran is such a caring and kind teacher and has been with me all the way,” said Eric, who plans to major in Philosophy-Neuroscience-Psychology. With a passion for cognitive science, Eric has his sights on helping treat people with cancer as a lifelong career. “She has a passion for education and you can see that she enjoys teaching. She always wants us to approach her with any questions and even encourages her past students to offer suggestions on how she can improve on her skills as an educator.”

Dr. Halloran just completed her 13th year teaching at Carmel and 25th year as a professional educator, having worked at both the high school and college level. She prides herself in forging long-lasting teacher-student relationships with each and every one of her Corsairs. She says she was blessed to teach Eric and surprised to receive the Educator of Distinction Award.

“Eric was such a dedicated student,” Dr. Halloran says. “He wants to learn the materials to understand and not just for the grade. He’s motivated by doing well and understands material is a foundation for what he’ll be doing later in life. I was so excited learning that he won the Coke scholarship and it is so well deserved. He puts in the extra effort by always going above and beyond what’s necessary to complete his assignments and is always there to help others. He works well in groups and makes others perform better which is refreshing to see as a teacher.”

The classroom is only one area where Eric turns his passion to when it comes to helping others. Before and during COVID he has been volunteering his time working at area food shelters and local churches including Our Lady of Humility Middle School and St. Anastasia, where he serves as a Spanish interpreter.

Ironically, Eric had just returned home from one of his regular shifts at the Greater Illinois Food Bank when he opened the letter from Coca-Cola, informing him of his scholarship. “I thought it was fake, almost like a hoax,” he laughed. “I thought there was no way that I was chosen out of 99,000 others who had applied. I was at my grandparents’ house later that day to share the news and we all started crying. We were all so happy and it really made my day.”

Eric’s passion for medicine stems from childhood and an allergic reaction that he had. “I recall having hives one night and my mom giving me Benadryl, which really helped. I was intrigued and looked up how antihistamines work. When I was younger, my mom worked as an oncology nurse and would talk to me about cancer treatments and how chemotherapy works. She’s currently an oncology manager at Advocate Lutheran General. “

There’s no doubt that Dr. Halloran will keep an eye on Eric’s future endeavors, as well as those of many of her other 2021 graduates. “Students here at Carmel are so special,” Dr. Halloran adds. “I always want to stay connected and hear what they’re doing and conversely, they want to come back and tell their teachers, too. We’re able to build relationships with students and further their academic interests. Eric fit perfectly into the model.”

COMPASS | Summer 2021