8 minute read
NEIGHBORS
Scottsdale.org
l @ScottsdaleProgress /ScottsdaleProgress
City honors woman on her 105th birthday
BY KRISTINE CANNON
Progress Staff Writer
Scottsdale resident Athena Wright donned her �inest black, red, and white blouse and waved from the entrance of Pueblo Norte Assisted Living. Surrounding her was her daughter, Diane Wright, and Pueblo Norte staff, one of whom held a sign that read, “Happy 105th Birthday, Athena!” As Aug. 25 marked a milestone birthday for Athena, the city of Scottsdale joined American Legion Post 44 and others for a socially distanced drive-by birthday parade. “She was totally awed,” Diane said. Other participants included Scottsdale Fire, Library, Police, Solid Waste, and Water. Athena also received a special birthday gift from Mayor Lane: He proclaimed Aug. 25 as “Athena Wright Day.” “The beautiful proclamation read and presented to my mother by vice mayor Solange Whitehead was a totally unexpected
New York City until 1941 when she joined the U.S. Army. “Since this was before Pearl Harbor, I asked why and she said that all the boys were joining up, and since she was single, she decided to do the same,” Diane said. Athena entered as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Army Nurse Corps in September 1941 at Ft. Dupont, Delaware. “She was assigned to a medical unit and arrived in Australia in June 1942,” Diane recalled, adding that her mother Scottsdale resident Athena Wright celebrated her 105th birthday on Tuesday with a drive-by birthday parade. (Pablo Robles/Progress Staff Photographer) served in numerous station hospitals in Australia and at the 18th Station Hospital in the honor that I don’t believe has fully sunk New Guinea jungle. in,” Diane said. “The parade was a lot for Athena was relieved from active duty in her to absorb.” December 1944 and earned Bronze Stars A Scottsdale resident since 2000, for her service in New Guinea and the East Athena was born in 1915 in Oxford, MasIndies during World War II. sachusetts. “My mother is an extremely strong and After graduating from high school, she independent woman, traits that have became a registered nurse and worked in served her well throughout her long life,” Diane said. “It started as soon as she graduated from nursing school and immediately moved to New York City from her Connecticut village.” During her time in the Paci�ic, she married Diane’s father, a major in the medical corps, and became pregnant with Diane. The family eventually settled in Washington D.C., where Diane’s father gave up his commission to help set up the Veterans Administration, where he worked in the Department of Medicine and Surgery until his retirement. Athena went on to work at Mt. Alto Veterans Hospital through 1967 and in 1968 transferred to the National Institutes of Health, where she remained until her retirement. She relocated to Scottsdale in 2000. “This parade and the recognition by the city of Scottsdale and the American Legion are a wonderful tribute to her long life and public service in the military and later at Mount Alto Veterans Hospital and the National Institutes of Health,” Diane said.
Scottsdale teen is a Stamps Scholar
AScottsdale teen is one of 267 top and exceptional character. Stamps Scholarship covers a full ride all students across the country have Pri was in the top 10 of her graduatfour years of undergraduate study and won Stamps Scholarships. ing class with a 4.7 GPA and was a Naincludes enrichment funds for academic Pri Karlapudi, who is entering the tional Merit Scholarship winner. A varand professional development such as, University of Arizona to study physiolsity swimmer who also is in the J Swim study abroad and research. ogy and medical sciences, joins what Club at the Valley of the Sun Jewish ComStamps Scholars have used their funds Stamps Scholarships of�icials call “an munity center, she was National honor to conduct scienti�ic research in Antarcaccomplished network of highly driven Society president and a member of the tica, study abroad in Jordan and attend individuals who are committed to leavHOSA Future Health Professionals club, a medical Spanish program in Ecuador. ing an impact on their local and larger Society of Women Scholars and Spanish “This year’s group of new students communities.” Honor Society. join us at a time when our alumni netSelected from over 263,000 applicaA research intern at mayor Clinic's work has grown stronger and more cations, the 15th class of Stamps Scholars orthopedic department, Pri also was �ipable to be leaders in innovation across was chosen by their universities and nance director for the Arizona Youth CliSTEM, humanities, business, and other colleges for academic excellence, leadermate Coalition. fields,” said Roe Stamps, founder of the ship experience, dedication to service, At most partner universities, the Stamps Scholars Program.
22 NEIGHBORS SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | AUGUST 30, 2020 DeFusco Law awards 10 SUSD teacher stipends
BY KRISTINE CANNON
Progress Staff Writer
Local law �irm DeFusco Law awarded $3,000 in stipends to 10 Scottsdale Uni�ied School District teachers this month. The stipends were used to purchase extra school supplies for the students. The teacher recipients include Ingleside Middle School’s Shalese Doan, Kiva Elementary’s Sheila Fullerton, Desert Mountain High’s Janet Emond, Cherokee Elementary’s Melanie Usher, Tavan Elementary’s Marilyn Miracle Williams, Coronado High’s Misty Gardner-Hajek, Cocopah Middle School’s Matthew Dougall and Chuck Curry, and Navajo Elementary’s Laura Jenner and Jeannette Young. “I am so appreciative of DeFusco Law for giving us this grant,” said Young, Navajo’s vocal music teacher. “We don’t have money in our schools to buy extra items, so we really count on community partners to help our schools get what they need. DeFusco Law has been doing this for a while.” Since 2018, the DeFusco Law Classroom Supply Stipend Fund has donated more than $10,000 to SUSD teachers. “It is important to DeFusco Law to give back because we feel we owe it to teachers,” said Bryn K. DeFusco, founding partner at DeFusco Law. “Andy and I are products of public schools. We wouldn’t be where we are today without all the amazing teachers we had in the public schools we attended.” Each teacher received $300.
Coronado High School Student Government Teacher Misty Gardner-Hajek is one of 10 SUSD teachers who won a DeFusco Law Classroom Supply Stipend Fund.
(DeFusco Law)
Young asked DeFusco Law for tote bags and rhythm instruments for each student. “With the coronavirus pandemic, music teachers’ options in the classroom have been greatly diminished. We can’t sing, and we can’t share instruments,” Young said, adding “I was able to buy enough tote bags for kindergarten and 1st grade and a few rhythm instruments to put in them.” Cocopah band director Curry, on the other hand, spent the stipend on a band instrument repair kit, explaining it “will help keep the kids instruments in good working order when they return to live instruction.” The donation was particularly meaningful to Curry, who had just returned to teaching after spending nearly a decade performing as a professional musician on Broadway tours and cruise ships. “I was actually living in Thailand, where I had to leave my wife and 1-anda-half-year-old son to take this job and start making money again,” Curry said. “With all of these life changes, it was so nice to hear that DeFusco Law provided some money to help me in my return to teaching.” Each year, DeFusco Law commits at least $3,000 in funding to SUSD schools. Local businesses also contribute to the DeFusco Law Classroom Supply Stipend Fund. This round’s contributors included Rimmer Lighting, Phoenix Mountain Animal Hospital and Turquoise Farms. “I was so appreciative that local businesses are partnering in such an impactful way with our schools, students and teachers,” said Edmond, Desert Mountain social studies-criminology and IB MYP coordinator. “DeFusco Law is not only using their resources, but they are encouraging other businesses to join them to support Scottsdale schools. It speaks highly to the value they place on education and supporting their local public schools,” Emond continued. Edmond used the stipend to buy a set of “Just Mercy” – a book about Bryan Stevenson, lawyer and founder of the Equal Justice Initiative – for her classroom. “Just Mercy,” winner of the Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Non�iction and the NAACP Image Award for Non�iction, among many other awards and nominations, was adapted into a feature �ilm last year. “This book speaks to many of the themes that are discussed in our class,” Edmond said. “Now, students who could not afford to purchase their own copy will have one provided for them. What a gift.” This round, DeFusco Law received about 12 applications. Pre-pandemic, Bryn said, they typically receive 30 to 40 applications. “I’m hoping we receive more in the next round when the application period opens in November,” Bryn added. While choosing who receives a stipend, Bryn said she and Andy try to award teachers who work at schools that may lack the resources of a PTA “that is able to raise a lot of money.” “I think many don’t realize that there can be fundraising inequities among PTAs/APTs in SUSD,” Bryn said. “Some PTAs are able to reimburse teachers for classroom supplies.” Looking ahead, Bryn said they would like to expand the program to help more teachers. “Hands down, the teachers are the primary reason parents send their children to SUSD schools. Arizona’s public schools are grossly underfunded and so it’s the least we can do to help out and be assured that the dollars are going right into the classroom.” The next application period opens in November. Information: defuscolaw.com. Businesses interested in contributing to the DeFusco Law Classroom Supply Stipend Fund can email the �irm at info@ defuscolaw.com. “Thank you,” Edmond said. “Thank you for valuing our public schools and supporting programming in such an inspired way. We appreciate the partnership with our greater Scottsdale community.”
