Special thanks.

The Ace Scholarship wouldn't be possible without the support and dedication of the St. Paul Public Schools and their passionate staff. Since day one, they have been 100% supportive of the idea behind the gift and have done an outstanding job finding very gifted students. Special thanks to Beverly who has been there since day one. My dad Ace loved the city public schools and what they stood for: the chance for every child to use education to reach their dreams. I know first hand. I am a graduate of Highland Park and my time there is something I will always cherish.

Yemi, taking on the world.

Olayemi Fadahunsi, Ace winner in 2014, has been very busy studying and traveling. Below, her latest update. Inspiring, for sure. Go, Yemi!

"It felt like yesterday when I received my letter of acceptance and then the opportunity for my mother and I to meet you and Mrs. Alexander. Since that day so many amazing things have happened in my life. Starting with the completion of my first year of college. I had an amazing first year here at College of Saint Benedict and Saint Johns University. I began my first year studying Elementary Education; I was also involved in the Black Student Association and also played intramural badminton. 

The summer of 2015 I worked an internship in Dallas, Texas through AmeriCorps. The program was called Project Transformation.  Over the summer I worked as a summer camp counselor for kids in grades 1-5. The core subjects I taught was literacy, art, bible study, and movement/fitness. I had an amazing time in Dallas. I lived in a fraternity house on the Southern Methodist University Campus along with 113 other interns. 

After working this internship and reflecting my first year of college I made the decision to change my major. I started the beginning of this year in my new job as a Residential Assistant, where I live, assist and foster relationships with the sophomore area residents at my University. I began my new major and minor also this fall. I am now studying Sociology and Political Science. It was a very difficult decision for me to change my major, but I knew it was the right on even though I am not majoring in the field of education, I do plan on doing some sort of teaching in the future. 

December of 2015 I had the amazing opportunity to go on a 10-day research trip to Paris, France to attend the UNFCCC, which is the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The UNFCCC is a yearly worldwide climate policy conference that is hosted through the United Nations. About 14 delegates from my university including myself went to Paris to conduct research on various topics. My research was to take a sociological approach to study marginalized people who are affected by Climate Change. I was able to interview, observe, and listen in on panels that were in relation to my topic. I also was able to meet heads of State, mayors, activist, and I even have a video of when I saw the President of France visit the conference site.  The trip to Paris was a life changing experience I am so grateful to have had. 

Now I am back at school for the spring semester of my sophomore year. I have settled into my new major and minor and I am loving the courses I am taking. I  recently have been accepted to study abroad in London in Spring 2017. For this summer I am in the process of looking for research internships in my field of study. It has been an amazing two years of college so far and I am so excited to know what my future hold."

Yemi at the Climate conference in Paris.

With the President of Kiribati, a small island nation.

With fellow students at the Paris conference.

Kennedy and his first year.

Kennedy Xiong with an update from Minneapolis: 

"My first semester of college was awesome! I had signed up for 16 credits going to the U of M (totaling five classes). Since it was my first year, most of my classes consisted of the general courses that I had to take in order to graduate. I ended the Fall semester with four A's and one B+ so it's a good fresh start going into my college years! Having received quite the ample amount of advice from friends and teachers, I am part of a club called the Philippine Student Association. In that club they have a program called the AKA program which is kind of like Big Brothers Big Sisters where an underclassmen is paired up with an upperclassmen. Since it was my first year, I had an upperclassmen who is a 2nd year at the U of M. My 'Big Brother' has given me really great advice on how to survive the first year of college and what to expect from the years to come! 

Unfortunately, I am not playing tennis anymore (I do hope to play tennis whenever I can. Most likely when I go back to visit my high school during the spring time!). For the first year, I wanted to focus on school just to see how college is like. With the fact that I am not playing tennis anymore, I have taken a new hobby which is working out in the weight room at the Rec at school. I commit myself to the weight room five days a week so I am still finding ways to stay physically active. 

Although my focus is in the educational area, I am currently undecided. I am not sure what exactly I want to pursue into education just yet. For my Spring semester in college, I have signed up for Elementary Education classes. If I truly like the class, maybe I will pursue Elementary Education as a major. I am also planning to volunteer as a teacher assistant in the Summer to really get the first hand experience on how it is like to work with younger kids also! If younger kids don't work out, I will try Junior High and so on to High School. The option of becoming a professor is up there too! I know I will come to decide my major sooner or later but I am giving myself time to try new things and see what I am truly passionate about.

I look forward to the upcoming winners of the Ace Scholarship and having a blog to keep track of them is an amazing idea! I truly hope more kids apply for the scholarship as this scholarship has really helped me!"

Recipient, 2015: Kennedy Xiong.

Kennedy, from Harding High, is the latest winner of The Ace. Kennedy is currently at the University of Minnesota. Here is what he wrote on his application for the Ace Scholarship:

"Although the income you receive as an educator isn't much, giving back to the community is enough for me. Becoming an educator is not about doing it for yourself, but giving out to others instead. I want to be able to show students the importance of education. Even if it means only changing the life of one person, I would gladly do it."

Kennedy, pictured here with Ace's wife and my mom, Jan Alexander.

Recipient, 2014: Olayemi Fadahunsi.

This was Olayemi's aspiration as she graduated from Harding High in St. Paul: "My major is to become an Elementary School teacher. My plan and goal is to one day become an inspiration to my future students and help bridge the achievement gap because I believe every student deserves the chance to have a quality and fair educational experience. It is the best time to build that confidence is at the start of their education."

Now a sophomore at The College of Saint Benedict in Minnesota, Olayemi continues to pursue her dreams. Her update:  "I graduate in May of 2018 with a degree in Sociology emphasis in Anthropology and Political Science with an emphasis in International Relations. I have had various experiences in professional settings in communications, Public Resources, Community Development, lesson planning,and Undergraduate Research. I have diverse experiences in many different work settings such as fast food, agriculture, office work, higher education, and teaching.

"My strengths include my ability to be flexible, great communication, time management, strong initiative, open mindedness, and strong teamwork."