CHOOSE KINDNESS PROMOTIONAL KITS

June 2023 Honoree

Kristy Pahvahtyah

Pueblo Gardens PK-8, Tucson AZ | Fourth Grade

At Pueblo Gardens PK-8 School in Tucson, Arizona, Kristy Pahvahtyah uses the values of her Hopi culture to help students celebrate their own unique identities. Pahvahtyah, who grew up on tribal lands, bases her classroom culture on three core Hopi values: Kyapsi, which means respect for all things; nami’nangwa, which means helping others without being asked; and Sumi’nangwa, which means contributing to the community.

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“I think about what I want for my students, not just for now but for life. I thought about what made me the person that I am today, and it’s those values,” Pahvahtyah said.

Pahvahtyah became a teacher through the University of Arizona’s Indigenous Teacher Project (ITEP), whose mission is to increase the number of Indigenous teachers serving Indigenous students, schools, and communities.

Dr. Michael Konrad, the principal at Pueblo Gardens, says, “Kristy helps students understand that our cultures and backgrounds will always be a part of us; it can be a strength to grow on that can shape who they are and how they see the world and how they can shape whatever community they are a part of.”

Amanda Borquez, whose two daughters Liliana and Gabby have both been in Kristy’s class, concurs: “The way that she was so proud of her culture translates to the kids as ‘Hey, I can be proud of my culture.’”

Read the full story at honored.org

CFP Foundation and Dr Pepper Support Student-Athletes Studying to Become Teachers

As part of the Go Teach

Dr Pepper Tuition Giveaway, the College Football Playoff (CFP) Foundation and Dr Pepper united earlier this year to award nearly $500,000 in tuition grants to 150 college students, each receiving $2,500 in financial aid. Eleven grand-prize winners, whose applications and reason for teaching stood out among all recipients, were each awarded $10,000 in additional tuition assistance.

This is the third cohort of students who are part of the CFP Foundation and Dr Pepper’s collective effort over a six-year span to award over $1.5 million in tuition in support of student-athletes looking to become teachers. In the past academic year, the program expanded to include eligible student-athletes from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) alongside the 10 Football Bowl Subdivision conferences (FBS) and the University of Notre Dame. In total, this year’s grants tripled the number of student-athletes who received tuition grants compared to the program’s inaugural year.

Several student-athletes graduated this semester with their teaching degrees and more are on the way. The CFP Foundation and Dr Pepper extend their congratulations and encourage students interested in pursuing teaching careers to follow their dreams.