the Supreme Court, I thought if I saw [ Justice Sotomayor] in person, I might say the wrong thing,” she said. “But I was also excited because I got to see the Supreme Court Justice.” After the ceremony, Justice Sotomayor congratulated and took pictures with the students, along with Bartell and their principal, Dr. Adelaide Flamer.
Ben Carson Scholars
Since 1996, the Ben Carson Scholarship Fund (CSF) award students in grades 4 through 11 with academic success and a dedication to serving their communities. Perspective Scholars are nominated a school official (i.e., principal, teacher, or counselor); however, only one student from each school can apply. The student must have a minimum GPA of 3.75 and display humanitarian qualities through community service. Winners receive $1,000 college scholarship as well as an “Olympic-sized medal and trophy.” This year, 510 students around the country were named as Carson Scholars and to date, CSF has awarded 6,200 scholarships. Although he did not attend the awards ceremony, Douglas is still proud of the work he accomplished. “I feel excited, but when I was doing the contest, I was nervous because I didn’t know I was going to win,” he explained. “But I tried my best. I got so excited; I cried in front of my mom and my sister and Dr. Flamer.” After receiving the nomination, Douglas completed an application, which included an essay portion. “I wrote my essay about how I struggled so bad when I was young and I met my goals when I got older and the people that eventually helped me,” he said. Douglas struggled with multiple subjects, including math, science, social studies, and reading. “I couldn’t get it,” he explained. “I was trying my best, but I still couldn’t get it. But now, I
know what I need to do. I believed in myself. I tried my best. I never back down on myself and I never give up.”
A Family Affair
What makes this achievement special for Douglas and Hough is that as siblings, they can celebrate together. “They’re very competitive, but they’re very, very close,” said Bartell. “Right now, they’re actually competing for valedictorian and salutatorian.” Despite having a competitive relationship, they support each other’s achievement. “I’m proud of him for winning,” said Hough. “He’s my older brother, so now, I can follow his footsteps.” Douglas agreed saying, “I never thought she would get this type of award from this greatest person...So now, I can set examples for her and she can set examples for me.
What Happens Now
As the school year ends, Douglas, Hough, and Mitchell are preparing for graduation and middle school; Douglas and Hough will attend Somerset Preparatory Public Charter School in the fall (Mitchell said that she will attend a preparatory school, but she does not know where). However, they are also applying for a summer program that allows them to gain experience in their chosen career field. With her students’ recent successes, Bartell hopes that their stories show how much the city has to offer: “There’s so much available in Washington, DC for students who want to learn and want to showcase their particular talents,” she argued. “It’s just a matter of enabling the students to take advantage of that. These students will never win anything unless they apply or unless they try.” u
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