The Keeper of the Dream Scholarship Award is given to Oakland University students who have helped foster interracial understanding and goodwill. Several exceptional students have received the award through the years, including Zoé Rosario.
Zoé Rosario was a Keeper of the Dream Award recipient this past January. Rosario applied for the award due to her advancements toward diversity and inclusion through her role as the president of the Filipino-American Students of OU.
“I thought it would be a good year to do it [apply for the scholarship],” Rosario said. “Last year, I was the president of the Filipino-American Students of Oakland University. So, I felt I was kind of in my prime to apply for this scholarship.”
Since Rosario received the award in January, time has marched on, and she is now close to finishing her bachelor’s degree in social studies with history for educators and has plans to pursue a master’s degree.
“Starting next semester, I will be starting classes for that master’s program, and then I’ll walk for my bachelor’s this April,” Rosario said. “My goal right now is to really get the most out of this program. I’ll be doing my student teaching and really being immersed in the education portion of my major.”
Rosario has been working as an academic mentor for Project Upper Bound, a federally funded organization found in many colleges, including OU.
“It’s a program for low-income high school students to get the support that they need,” Rosario said. “This past summer, I worked with them as an academic mentor, which is essentially a teacher’s assistant. They have this thing called Summer Academy, where they live on campus, and they go to classes as if they’re college students to prepare them for college. Now, during the school year, I help with Saturday academies.”
Programs such as Upper Bound help train aspiring teachers, allowing student teachers to gain hands-on experience in the teaching field. Rosario explains how Upper Bound has helped her on her journey to becoming a teacher.
“Project Upper Bound has really helped me work with high school students,” Rosario said. “All the teaching experience I’ve really had from before was with college students, so this has been helping me learn how to manage a classroom. You need to be flexible as a teacher because you’re more than just a teacher. You’re also a counselor and a mentor. You never know what’s going to happen when you go into a classroom, so you have to be flexible too.”
As the months pass, Rosario will never forget the impact the Keeper of the Dream Scholarship has left on her. Rosario reflects on the award and how its meaning influences her future.
“The Keeper of the Dream is a great program,” Rosario said. “I’ve met a lot of people through it, and it’s renewed this passion that I really have for racial justice. Even though I’ve won this award, I’m not stopping now. It will be something I will always carry with me throughout my career, fighting for students of color and making sure they’re getting the support that they need.”
Students interested in the Keeper of the Dream Scholarship Award can visit its Oakland University webpage for information on past recipients and how to apply.
