This spring, the NC State College of Education held its annual scholarship banquet celebrating the transformative power of education and the generosity of those who support it.
In her remarks, Dean Paola Sztajn thanked all of the attendees for their efforts to create a brighter, more joyful future for the field of education.
“Together, we are not just making a difference — we are creating a legacy of joy, hope and opportunity,” Sztajn said.
At the banquet, the Ladies in Red, NC State’s all-female a capella group, performed, and there was also a guest appearance from Mr. and Ms. Wuf.
In addition, two NC State College of Education students had an opportunity to share how they found joy, meaning and motivation in education, and how scholarship support has affected their lives.
Their stories are below:
Teresa Merchan
From the fifth grade music teacher who taught her to play the recorder to the high school Spanish teacher who pushed her to achieve her full potential, Teresa Merchan’s life has been shaped by the educators who left a lasting impact on her life.
“I want to acknowledge and celebrate all the educators who go beyond their required duties, and live to make a difference, especially in neighborhoods where resources are already exhausted,” said Merchan, a doctoral candidate in the NC State College of Education’s Ph.D. in Educational Leadership, Policy and Human Development counseling and counselor education concentration. “They continue to do right by their students. They will never know how much of a difference they are making.”
The foundation those educators provided put Merchan on the path to earning her doctoral degree at the NC State College of Education, where she said she has felt support from faculty and peers, as well as through the Bilingual/Multilingual Student Scholarship.
“For the first time, I felt truly seen, not just inside the classroom, but beyond it,” Merchan said. “This scholarship contributes to my research and to the future work as a counselor and an educator.”
Merchan’s research focuses on the stories of uncounted Latina survivors of domestic violence, and, as a future counselor educator, she hopes to use the power of storytelling to reshape history.
“I am grateful to the donors who help create opportunities for students like me to achieve their goals,” Merchan said. “I thank you for your contributions and your support. These last four years have changed my life. They prepared me to be where I need to be — helping and giving back to my community.”
Jennifer Wisely ’25EDD
Jennifer Wisely ’25EDD, who recently earned her Doctor of Education in Adult and Community College Education, knows firsthand how education can transform lives.
After joining the United States Marine Corps out of high school — her first job was as a helicopter mechanic in North Carolina — she later moved with her husband to Texas, where she enrolled in a community college before transferring to Texas A&M.
“It was through these years that I got to see the profound impact educators can have, and it helped define the kind of educator — the kind of leader — I wanted to become,” Wisely said.
When she came to NC State to earn her doctoral degree, it was with a clear mission to deeply understand community college leadership, not just the mechanics but how to advocate and serve. She has been supported in her pursuit of that goal through the Edgar J. & Ethel B. Boone Adult & Community College Leadership Award.
“This award has not just helped fund my education — it has fueled my purpose,” Wisely said. “To the donors in this room, your generosity does more than fund education. It transforms lives.”
Wisely’s research is designed to shape initiatives that make community colleges more accessible for military spouses, giving them not just degrees but confidence, independence and a means to contribute to their families.
“I am committed to a life of paying it forward,” Wisely said. “Just as someone once believed in me, each of us here tonight has the power and opportunity to change someone else’s story.”
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