Why Gifts Matter: Transformational Scholarships Program Preparing Bella Gonzales to Inspire Students for Rest of Their Lives

Bella Gonzales, an elementary education major and Transformational Scholar, will never forget the last day of second grade, when her teacher, Mrs. Doorman, reached down to give her a hug and tell her she was going to really go far. 

“She saw me,” Gonzales said. “She knew I was going to be a teacher.” 

Although Gonzales displayed a passion for education from a young age, she was concerned it might not be possible for her to achieve her goals. In high school, she faced challenges related to her mental health and was also unsure whether she could afford to earn a bachelor’s degree. 

When she applied to NC State’s College of Education, what stood out to her was its Transformational Scholarships Program, which provides scholarships totaling $40,000 over four years to promising high school students, like Gonzales, who are from eastern North Carolina and will return to the region to teach after graduation.

“Once I got that scholarship, it literally changed the course of my life,” said Gonzales. “It released a giant part of that financial burden, and it also connected me with a community, so that I could feel comfortable leaving home.”

When Gonzales left Wilmington for Raleigh to attend NC State, she knew she would still be able to count on her mom, her sisters and her emotional support animal, a black cat named Fiyero. Through the College of Education and the Transformational Scholarships Program, she has been able to expand her support network and learn and grow in a welcoming environment. 

“They’ve created such a safe space that I’ve been able to open up to these people, and they’ve been able to open up to me,” Gonzales said. “We’ve been able to create a safe space together, and that includes faculty and staff and students alike. It is just such a loving community with so many opportunities.” 

Over the past year, those opportunities have included mentoring elementary school students through Students Advocating for Youth (SAY) Village and taking part in programs put on by the Transformational Scholars that are preparing her to teach in eastern North Carolina. 

“I have a lot of mentors within Transformational Scholars and people that Transformational Scholars have connected to who are going to help me become a better educator and a member of the community,” Gonzales said.

When she returns to eastern North Carolina to teach, she hopes to be like Mrs. Doorman, someone who is able to have a long-lasting impact on her students. 

“What’s most important to me is being the teacher who they know cares — being the teacher that they will look back on in 10, 20 years and think: ‘She made a difference in my life,'” Gonzales said.