Strength in Education Scholarship Recipients

2015 Strength in Education2015

Strength in Education Scholarship Recipient
Mr. Brayden Love, Woodward High School

Security Benefit, in partnership with Oklahoma ASBO, granted a one-time $2,000 per year ($1,000 per academic semester) scholarship to
Brayden Love, a graduate of Woodward High School. Congratulations, Brayden!


In his own words:

I desire to become a teacher because education is monumentally important to Oklahoma's prosperity. The educators in my family have always recognized this, and I plan to carry on the tradition and become a fourth-generation Oklahoma educator. I plan to obtain my degree and put myself on a path to create real change and impact the lives of generations of Oklahoma students. It's essential to understand our nation's rich historical past, and this is why I plan to teach Oklahoma history and AP Government.

I believe that there is no better testament to what education stands for than striving to inspire others to discover their potential. I have expressed some of my passions in my award-winning essays for the Veterans of Foreign Wars and Daughters of the American Revolution. I discovered my love for writing and passion for patriotism through education, and I desire to share those passions with my future students while also helping them discover their own passions.

As a two-year volunteer in my school's freshman mentoring program (where juniors and seniors volunteer to mentor groups of 15 freshmen for the first half of lunch every Monday through the first semester) I saw the incredible impact just one positive role model can have on the life of someone who is in need of help. These captivating experiences inspired me to start planning something that would have a direct impact on generations of Woodward High School students, and would last long after I graduated.

Last fall, I decided to create something at my high school that was welcoming to all students, and would continue long after I had graduated. Seeing the need for a more extensive selection of extracurricular activities, I took it upon myself to personally fundraise more than $600 for materials to start chess clubs at both my high school and middle school.

Within two weeks, groups of students were regularly in attendance. It's incredibly inspiring to see something that I started grow into something so special, as chess breaks down barriers among students who are rarely comfortable straying from their social cliques. As they laugh, talk, and strategize together over a common interest, no one cares who belongs to which clubs or organizations, who plays which sports, or if they even participate in anything else at all. They are suddenly more alike and have more in common than they ever realized.

This has taught me how one act can impact the lives of an entire group of people, often encompassing those who need it the most. I now understand how empowering this feeling is for educators, and it has made me realize I want to impact more lives in the future. This realization has guided my decision to major in education in order to make a difference in students' lives. I cannot wait to follow my passions at the university level and prepare for my career as a fourth-generation educator!


Past Recipients

2014  Kai Jorgensen -  Byng High School
2013  Christina Cole -   Norman North High School
2015  Morgan Shiever - Alva High School
2016
2017  Anna Crosswhite - 
2018  Amber Metzinger - Mustang High School
2019  Brayden Love - Woodward High School
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