Hello Nancy,
I love to keep in contact with all of the people and organizations that have helped me achieve my dreams. I remember as a high school senior at North Garland High School, CASI was the first organization to award me a scholarship. I still have the original letter in a frame in my classroom now. The scholarship award may not have been a big deal to the member and board of CASI, but for me, a senior student with a deceased mother and absent father and disabled grandmother that had no way of being able to afford college, it was a game changer. The CASI organization gave me the hope that I may be able to accomplish everything I wanted to. After receiving that scholarship, I applied for several more and was able to have my college completely funded through scholarships and government grants.
Now six years later, I have completed a Bachelors in English and Education from the University of Texas Arlington, and I am currently working on a Master in Education of Clinical Mental Health from Lamar University. I am also going into my second year of teaching full time. I have worked with children since receiving my scholarship from CASI through being the Basketball Director at the Rockwall Indoor Sports Expo. I can't express how thankful and appreciative I am to you and CASI for allowing me the opportunity to live out my dream, passion, and purpose. There is nothing in this world that I would rather be doing than teaching and helping the young men and women of our country, and without this organization, I would not be able to do that, so again, thank you so much for allowing me, and countless others, the ability to do what we are placed on Earth to do.
Sincerely,
Shelmon Smith
I love to keep in contact with all of the people and organizations that have helped me achieve my dreams. I remember as a high school senior at North Garland High School, CASI was the first organization to award me a scholarship. I still have the original letter in a frame in my classroom now. The scholarship award may not have been a big deal to the member and board of CASI, but for me, a senior student with a deceased mother and absent father and disabled grandmother that had no way of being able to afford college, it was a game changer. The CASI organization gave me the hope that I may be able to accomplish everything I wanted to. After receiving that scholarship, I applied for several more and was able to have my college completely funded through scholarships and government grants.
Now six years later, I have completed a Bachelors in English and Education from the University of Texas Arlington, and I am currently working on a Master in Education of Clinical Mental Health from Lamar University. I am also going into my second year of teaching full time. I have worked with children since receiving my scholarship from CASI through being the Basketball Director at the Rockwall Indoor Sports Expo. I can't express how thankful and appreciative I am to you and CASI for allowing me the opportunity to live out my dream, passion, and purpose. There is nothing in this world that I would rather be doing than teaching and helping the young men and women of our country, and without this organization, I would not be able to do that, so again, thank you so much for allowing me, and countless others, the ability to do what we are placed on Earth to do.
Sincerely,
Shelmon Smith
