Minority student receives Holmes Scholarship

UF College of Education graduate student Sophie Maxis recently was named a Holmes Scholar, a designation that recognizes advanced-degree students of color in education for their character, academic standing and career goals in education.

She joins two current UF Holmes Scholars: John Baker and Yashica Crawford.

To qualify for the award, students must be working toward advanced degrees for careers in the education professorate and in professional development schools.

Maxis, of Sarasota, Fla., is a doctoral student in counselor education. She obtained her Ed.S. and M.Ed. at UF in school counseling with an emphasis in mental health. She completed her undergraduate studies at Oakwood College in Alabama, where she received a bachelor’s degree in mathematics education.

The College of Education also appointed three other doctoral students as Holmes Scholars who will receive financial support to travel to the National Holmes Partnership annual conference. These scholars are Nicole Fenty, Tyran Wright and Jyrece McClendon.

The Holmes Scholars are a select group of graduate students who are enrolled at one of 96 universities involved with the Holmes Partnership, a program that provides support for underrepresented students in university leadership programs. Scholarship recipients at UF each receive a part-time assistantship in the College, mentoring and opportunities to make presentations at the National Holmes Conference each year.      The scholars program directors and the Holmes Partnership organization help Holmes Scholar graduates obtain positions as faculty members, K-12 administrators or with education policy organizations. The Holmes Scholar program is administered at UF by the College’s Center for School Improvement, directed by Nancy Dana.

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Writer

Chan Tran, ctran@coe.ufl.edu, (352) 392-0726, ext. 246