For DonorsFor Applicants
user profile avatar

Gracie Vess

1,575

Bold Points

2x

Finalist

Bio

I am currently studying history at the University of South Carolina, and I intend to work as a secondary education, social studies teacher for the public school system. I believe every student deserves an equitable education, and I support public school’s mission to provide an education to every student. Done right, education improves the lives of everyone it touches and makes the world a better place. Teaching is among the most important professions in the world because of its capacity to directly nurture the future.

Education

University of South Carolina-Columbia

Master's degree program
2024 - 2025
  • Majors:
    • Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas
    • Education, Other

University of South Carolina-Columbia

Bachelor's degree program
2021 - 2024
  • Majors:
    • History

University of South Carolina-Columbia

Bachelor's degree program
2021 - 2024
  • Majors:
    • History
  • Minors:
    • Education, General

Miscellaneous

  • Desired degree level:

    Master's degree program

  • Graduate schools of interest:

  • Transfer schools of interest:

  • Majors of interest:

    • Education, General
    • History
  • Not planning to go to medical school
  • Career

    • Dream career field:

      Education

    • Dream career goals:

      Teacher

    • Care Counselor

      YMCA Learning Academy
      2020 – 20211 year
    • Volunteer Assistant to Director of Secondary Education

      Rutherford County Schools
      2023 – 2023
    • AVID Tutor

      Muller Road Middle School
      2023 – 2023

    Sports

    Cheerleading

    Junior Varsity
    2017 – 20181 year

    Awards

    • Academic

    Research

    • History

      University of South Carolina — Research Assistant
      2023 – Present
    • History

      University of South Carolina — Researcher
      2023 – Present

    Arts

    • Band

      Music
      Concerts, Competitions
      2018 – 2021
    • Church Choir

      Music
      Church Service
      2019 – 2021
    • Women's Chorus

      Music
      Concerts
      2022 – 2022
    • University Chorus

      Music
      Concerts
      2021 – 2021

    Public services

    • Volunteering

      Hospice — Office Volunteer
      2017 – 2019

    Future Interests

    Advocacy

    Volunteering

    Kerry Kennedy Life Is Good Scholarship
    Dr. Seuss knew to change the future, one must start by investing in the children of the present. With The Lorax and The Butter Battle Book, he hoped to foster a generation that would think critically about their impact on the environment and the triviality of differences they allow to trigger conflict. After graduation, I will serve as a public-school social studies teacher because I want to advocate for equitable education for all and teach my students their value and potential to spark change. Education can be the great equalizer in society; unfortunately, it does not always serve this role. Public schools in poor communities are underfunded, and many states allot money that previously went to public education to vouchers for non-public education. This is systematically increasing the education gap between low-income and wealthier students. Private and charter schools do not have to accept all students. They often reject those with disabilities and make their schools inaccessible to low-income students with a lack of provided transportation, school lunch, or required uniforms. In my own community, many students have been asked to leave our local charter school because they did not score as high on standardized tests as the school desired. As a teacher, I will advocate for public funding to go towards an education system that accepts and works with all students to provide educational opportunities. Providing an equitable education to everyone not only benefits students, but it benefits the entire community since those students are its future. There is often a pervasiveness of “great man” history within the classroom. Important figures in history are talked about as if they were able to inspire change all by themselves. I want my students to remember that Martin Luther King Jr. could not have sparked such change in the civil rights movement without the thousands of Americans who already craved equality. They were just as important to the success of gaining civil rights as were the movement’s main figures. I will have students who will be leaders in the world, but I will teach them that even those who are not the face of change are still vital to making it. However, becoming a teacher can be a sacrifice. Because of the lack of funding, teachers are increasingly underpaid, yet they are overworked because of the growing number of teachers leaving the profession. Since there are not enough teachers, many states allow new employees to begin teaching before they have received their certification, taking the professionalism out of teaching. I have been asked countless times how someone with so much potential could settle for being a teacher, and that question is heartbreaking. The world desperately needs good teachers, but without a way to pay off college debt, some of the best potential teachers are forced to choose a different profession that will pay enough to live and pay off their debt. Education is more than memorization and acing tests. Done right, education improves the lives of everyone it touches and makes the world a better place. Teaching is among the most important professions because it directly nurtures the future.
    Marie Humphries Memorial Scholarship
    Dr. Seuss knew to change the future, one must start by investing in the children of the present. With The Lorax and The Butter Battle Book, he hoped to foster a generation that would think critically about their impact on the environment and the triviality of differences they allow to trigger conflict. After graduation, I will serve as a public-school social studies teacher because I want to advocate for equitable education for all and teach my students their value and potential to spark change. Education can be the great equalizer in society; unfortunately, it does not always serve this role. Public schools in poor communities are underfunded, and many states allot money that previously went to public education to vouchers for non-public education. This is systematically increasing the education gap between low-income and wealthier students. Private and charter schools do not have to accept all students. They often reject those with disabilities and make their schools inaccessible to low-income students with a lack of provided transportation, school lunch, or required uniforms. In my own community, many students have been asked to leave our local charter school because they did not score as high on standardized tests as the school desired. As a teacher, I will advocate for public funding to go towards an education system that accepts and works with all students to provide educational opportunities. Providing an equitable education to everyone not only benefits students, but it benefits the entire community since those students are its future. There is often a pervasiveness of “great man” history within the classroom. Important figures in history are talked about as if they were able to inspire change all by themselves. I want my students to remember that Martin Luther King Jr. could not have sparked such change in the civil rights movement without the thousands of Americans who already craved equality. They were just as important to the success of gaining civil rights as were the movement’s main figures. I will have students who will be leaders in the world, but I will teach them that even those who are not the face of change are still vital to making it. Education is more than memorization and acing tests. Done right, education improves the lives of everyone it touches and makes the world a better place. Teaching is among the most important professions in the world because it directly nurtures the future.
    Joseph C. Lowe Memorial Scholarship
    Dr. Seuss knew to change the future, one must start by investing in the children of the present. With The Lorax and The Butter Battle Book, he hoped to foster a generation that would think critically about their impact on the environment and the triviality of differences they allow to trigger conflict. After graduation, I will serve as a public-school social studies teacher because I want to advocate for equitable education for all and teach my students their value and potential to spark change. Education can be the great equalizer in society; unfortunately, it does not always serve this role. Public schools in poor communities are underfunded, and many states allot money that previously went to public education to vouchers for non-public education. This is systematically increasing the education gap between low-income and wealthier students. Private and charter schools do not have to accept all students. They often reject those with disabilities and make their schools inaccessible to low-income students with a lack of provided transportation, school lunch, or required uniforms. In my own community, many students have been asked to leave our local charter school because they did not score as high on standardized tests as the school desired. As a teacher, I will advocate for public funding to go towards an education system that accepts and works with all students to provide educational opportunities. Providing an equitable education to everyone not only benefits students, but it benefits the entire community since those students are its future. There is often a pervasiveness of “great man” history within the classroom. Important figures in history are talked about as if they were able to inspire change all by themselves. I want my students to remember that Martin Luther King Jr. could not have sparked such change in the civil rights movement without the thousands of Americans who already craved equality. They were just as important to the success of gaining civil rights as were the movement’s main figures. I will have students who will be leaders in the world, but I will teach them that even those who are not the face of change are still vital to making it. Education is more than memorization and acing tests. Done right, education improves the lives of everyone it touches and makes the world a better place. Teaching is among the most important professions in the world because it directly nurtures the future.
    Sacha Curry Warrior Scholarship
    Dr. Seuss knew to change the future, one must start by investing in the children of the present. With The Lorax and The Butter Battle Book, he hoped to foster a generation that would think critically about their impact on the environment and the triviality of differences they allow to trigger conflict. After graduation, I will serve as a public-school social studies teacher because I want to advocate for equitable education for all and teach my students their value and potential to spark change. Education can be the great equalizer in society; unfortunately, it does not always serve this role. Public schools in poor communities are underfunded, and many states allot money that previously went to public education to vouchers for non-public education. This is systematically increasing the education gap between low-income and wealthier students. Private and charter schools do not have to accept all students. They often reject those with disabilities and make their schools inaccessible to low-income students with a lack of provided transportation, school lunch, or required uniforms. In my own community, many students have been asked to leave our local charter school because they did not score as high on standardized tests as the school desired. As a teacher, I will advocate for public funding to go towards an education system that accepts and works with all students to provide educational opportunities. Providing an equitable education to everyone not only benefits students, but it benefits the entire community since those students are its future. There is often a pervasiveness of “great man” history within the classroom. Important figures in history are talked about as if they were able to inspire change all by themselves. I want my students to remember that Martin Luther King Jr. could not have sparked such change in the civil rights movement without the thousands of Americans who already craved equality. They were just as important to the success of gaining civil rights as were the movement’s main figures. I will have students who will be leaders in the world, but I will teach them that even those who are not the face of change are still vital to making it. Education is more than memorization and acing tests. Done right, education improves the lives of everyone it touches and makes the world a better place. Teaching is among the most important professions in the world because it directly nurtures the future.
    Our Destiny Our Future Scholarship
    Dr. Seuss knew to change the future, one must start by investing in the children of the present. With The Lorax and The Butter Battle Book, he hoped to foster a generation that would think critically about their impact on the environment and the triviality of differences they allow to trigger conflict. After graduation, I will serve as a public-school social studies teacher because I want to advocate for equitable education for all and teach my students their value and potential to spark change. Education can be the great equalizer in society; unfortunately, it does not always serve this role. Public schools in poor communities are underfunded, and many states allot money that previously went to public education to vouchers for non-public education. This is systematically increasing the education gap between low-income and wealthier students. Private and charter schools do not have to accept all students. They often reject those with disabilities and make their schools inaccessible to low-income students with a lack of provided transportation, school lunch, or required uniforms. In my own community, many students have been asked to leave our local charter school because they did not score as high on standardized tests as the school desired. As a teacher, I will advocate for public funding to go towards an education system that accepts and works with all students to provide educational opportunities. Providing an equitable education to everyone not only benefits students, but it benefits the entire community since those students are its future. There is often a pervasiveness of “great man” history within the classroom. Important figures in history are talked about as if they were able to inspire change all by themselves. I want my students to remember that Martin Luther King Jr. could not have sparked such change in the civil rights movement without the thousands of Americans who already craved equality. They were just as important to the success of gaining civil rights as were the movement’s main figures. I will have students who will be leaders in the world, but I will teach them that even those who are not the face of change are still vital to making it. Education is more than memorization and acing tests. Done right, education improves the lives of everyone it touches and makes the world a better place. Teaching is among the most important professions in the world because it directly nurtures the future.
    Scholarship Institute’s Annual Women’s Leadership Scholarship
    Dr. Seuss knew to change the future, one must start by investing in the children of the present. With The Lorax and The Butter Battle Book, he hoped to foster a generation that would think critically about their impact on the environment and the triviality of differences they allow to trigger conflict. After graduation, I will serve as a public-school social studies teacher because I want to advocate for equitable education for all and teach my students their value and potential to spark change. Education can be the great equalizer in society; unfortunately, it does not always serve this role. Public schools in poor communities are underfunded, and many states allot money that previously went to public education to vouchers for non-public education. This is systematically increasing the education gap between low-income and wealthier students. Private and charter schools do not have to accept all students. They often reject those with disabilities and make their schools inaccessible to low-income students with a lack of provided transportation, school lunch, or required uniforms. In my own community, many students have been asked to leave our local charter school because they did not score as high on standardized tests as the school desired. As a teacher, I will advocate for public funding to go towards an education system that accepts and works with all students to provide educational opportunities. Providing an equitable education to everyone not only benefits students, but it benefits the entire community since those students are its future. There is often a pervasiveness of “great man” history within the classroom. Important figures in history are talked about as if they were able to inspire change all by themselves. I want my students to remember that Martin Luther King Jr. could not have sparked such change in the civil rights movement without the thousands of Americans who already craved equality. They were just as important to the success of gaining civil rights as were the movement’s main figures. I will have students who will be leaders in the world, but I will teach them that even those who are not the face of change are still vital to making it. Education is more than memorization and acing tests. Done right, education improves the lives of everyone it touches and makes the world a better place. Teaching is among the most important professions in the world because it directly nurtures the future.
    Ryan T. Herich Memorial Scholarship
    Dr. Seuss knew to change the future, one must start by investing in the children of the present. With The Lorax and The Butter Battle Book, he hoped to foster a generation that would think critically about their impact on the environment and the triviality of differences they allow to trigger conflict. After graduation, I will serve as a public-school social studies teacher because I want to advocate for equitable education for all and teach my students their value and potential to spark change. Education can be the great equalizer in society; unfortunately, it does not always serve this role. Public schools in poor communities are underfunded, and many states allot money that previously went to public education to vouchers for non-public education. This is systematically increasing the education gap between low-income and wealthier students. Private and charter schools do not have to accept all students. They often reject those with disabilities and make their schools inaccessible to low-income students with a lack of provided transportation, school lunch, or required uniforms. In my own community, many students have been asked to leave our local charter school because they did not score as high on standardized tests as the school desired. As a teacher, I will advocate for public funding to go towards an education system that accepts and works with all students to provide educational opportunities. Providing an equitable education to everyone not only benefits students, but it benefits the entire community since those students are its future. There is often a pervasiveness of “great man” history within the classroom. Important figures in history are talked about as if they were able to inspire change all by themselves. I want my students to remember that Martin Luther King Jr. could not have sparked such change in the civil rights movement without the thousands of Americans who already craved equality. They were just as important to the success of gaining civil rights as were the movement’s main figures. I will have students who will be leaders in the world, but I will teach them that even those who are not the face of change are still vital to making it. Education is more than memorization and acing tests. Done right, education improves the lives of everyone it touches and makes the world a better place. Teaching is among the most important professions in the world because it directly nurtures the future.
    Selma Luna Memorial Scholarship
    Dr. Seuss knew to change the future, one must start by investing in the children of the present. With The Lorax and The Butter Battle Book, he hoped to foster a generation that would think critically about their impact on the environment and the triviality of differences they allow to trigger conflict. After graduation, I will serve as a public-school social studies teacher because I want to advocate for equitable education for all and teach my students their value and potential to spark change. Education can be the great equalizer in society; unfortunately, it does not always serve this role. Public schools in poor communities are underfunded, and many states allot money that previously went to public education to vouchers for non-public education. This is systematically increasing the education gap between low-income and wealthier students. Private and charter schools do not have to accept all students. They often reject those with disabilities and make their schools inaccessible to low-income students with a lack of provided transportation, school lunch, or required uniforms. In my own community, many students have been asked to leave our local charter school because they did not score as high on standardized tests as the school desired. As a teacher, I will advocate for public funding to go towards an education system that accepts and works with all students to provide educational opportunities. Providing an equitable education to everyone not only benefits students, but it benefits the entire community since those students are its future. There is often a pervasiveness of “great man” history within the classroom. Important figures in history are talked about as if they were able to inspire change all by themselves. I want my students to remember that Martin Luther King Jr. could not have sparked such change in the civil rights movement without the thousands of Americans who already craved equality. They were just as important to the success of gaining civil rights as were the movement’s main figures. I will have students who will be leaders in the world, but I will teach them that even those who are not the face of change are still vital to making it. Education is more than memorization and acing tests. Done right, education improves the lives of everyone it touches and makes the world a better place. Teaching is among the most important professions because it directly nurtures the future.
    A Man Helping Women Helping Women Scholarship
    Dr. Seuss knew to change the future, one must start by investing in the children of the present. With The Lorax and The Butter Battle Book, he hoped to foster a generation that would think critically about their impact on the environment and the triviality of differences they allow to trigger conflict. After graduation, I will serve as a public-school social studies teacher because I want to advocate for equitable education for all and teach my students their value and potential to spark change. Education can be the great equalizer in society; unfortunately, it does not always serve this role. Public schools in poor communities are underfunded, and many states allot money that previously went to public education to vouchers for non-public education. This is systematically increasing the education gap between low-income and wealthier students. Private and charter schools do not have to accept all students. They often reject those with disabilities and make their schools inaccessible to low-income students with a lack of provided transportation, school lunch, or required uniforms. In my own community, many students have been asked to leave our local charter school because they did not score as high on standardized tests as the school desired. As a teacher, I will advocate for public funding to go towards an education system that accepts and works with all students to provide educational opportunities. Providing an equitable education to everyone not only benefits students, but it benefits the entire community since those students are its future. There is often a pervasiveness of “great man” history within the classroom. Important figures in history are talked about as if they were able to inspire change all by themselves. I want my students to remember that Martin Luther King Jr. could not have sparked such change in the civil rights movement without the thousands of Americans who already craved equality. They were just as important to the success of gaining civil rights as were the movement’s main figures. I will have students who will be leaders in the world, but I will teach them that even those who are not the face of change are still vital to making it. Education is more than memorization and acing tests. Done right, education improves the lives of everyone it touches and makes the world a better place. Teaching is among the most important professions in the world because of it's capacity to directly nurture the future.
    Spider-Man Showdown Scholarship
    Although I love the movies made by Toby Maguire and Andrew Garfield, Tom Holland was my favorite Spider-Man because his age and his light-hearted nature made him the most reminiscent of Peter Parker from the comic books. I remember the moment I first saw Tom Holland as Spider-Man in Avengers: Civil War. I remember thinking: now that is Spider-Man. I would have appreciated Toby Maguire and Andrew Garfield as Peter Parker more if they had attempted to play an adult rather than a teenager. Neither one of them looked like they could be teenagers in high school. However, Tom Holland played the lovable and lighthearted high school boy who used his newfound powers to make his neighborhood a better place, and I believed he could be a high school boy. Furthermore, Tom Holland’s light-hearted nature made him the most like the Spider-Man cartoons I used to watch as a child. Even though Holland’s Spider-Man undergoes his fair share of trials and tribulations, he looks towards the future with a positive attitude even in the midst of grief. Toby Maguire and Andrew Garfield’s Spider-Men had shining moments of humor and light-heartedness, but in the end, their characters became consumed with brooding over the “great responsibility” of their jobs. Toby Maguire, Andrew Garfield, and Tom Holland all created wonderfully entertaining Spider-Man stories; however, I would have enjoyed Maguire and Garfield’s movies more if they had portrayed Spider-Man as an adult throughout their entire series. Their Spider-Men lacked the excitement and physical qualities of youth that only Tom Holland has been able to provide thus far.