Jennifer’s Story
Jennifer Coxen was the first person in her family to attend college. Now she is funding scholarships to support deserving graduate students in the elementary education program — with preference given to first-generation college students.
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James Patterson Scholars
Best-selling novelist James Patterson believes one way to champion books and reading for children is by supporting our future teachers. That explains why his family foundation has made annual gifts over the past four years, totaling $432,000, to the UF College of Education to create the James Patterson Teacher Education Scholarships, benefiting 16 students in elementary education. The scholarships provide yearly financial support during the students’ five-year master’s studies and internship.
Each scholarship recipient shares a passion for cultivating a love for reading in their future students. Not surprisingly, Patterson, a Florida resident largely known for his Alex Cross crime-mystery-thriller novel series, asks that each new Patterson Scholar do some writing of their own–submitting a written essay after their first academic year describing how they plan to apply what they’ve learned in their future classrooms.
Each scholar has a story to tell, a goal to strive for and a passion for teaching. You might call this the “Patterson passion.”
