The Connie M. Buntley Scholarship Award
“Little Things Mean a Lot” — Kitty Kallen
To Connie it was the little things that counted. All she ever ask from me was my love.
I established a scholarship program with (AISD) Allen Independent School District in 2016. The awards go to students who have a financial need, have worked part-time during their high school years, have a strong work ethic and are pursuing a career in math, science, engineering, business, medicine, law or education.
An Index to Scholarships
2024– Scholarship Winner Rhiannon R.
2023– Scholarship Winner Kerri H.
2022 — Scholarship Winner Frank L.
2021 — Scholarship Winner Sarah C.
2020 — Scholarship Winner
2019 — Scholarship Winner Emily S.
2018 — Scholarship Winner Vivian T.
2017 — Scholarship Winner Chole S
2024 – Scholarship Winner – Rhiannon R.
2024 – Scholarship Winner – Rhiannon R.
After not being able to attend and meet Connie’s scholarship winner in 2023, I was delighted to go this year and meet Rhiannon and her parents David and Samantha.
The Foundation for Allen Schools continued to find students that I can be so proud that they have won Connie’s scholarship. This year was no exception as I was extremely proud that they selected Rhiannon as this year’s winner. I know Connie would have been proud.
Connie would have been so proud that it was awarded to a student whose goal is to help others. Connie always wanted to see scholarships awarded to people going into the medical field.
After transitioning from playing sports (basketball and softball) to athletic training due to injuries, Rhiannon made significant contributions to the Allen community through her volunteer work and her role as an Athletic Trainer at Allen High School.
She has decided to pursue a career in physical therapy at Angelo State University which aligns with her passion for sports and helping others. It was inspiring to hear about her proactive approach to working as a pharmacy technician trainee while still in high school. She will be a certified pharmacy technician soon. This shows remarkable character and proactive thinking as she prepares to build a stable income to support her financial needs while pursuing her college degree.
Meeting her parents, David and Samantha, and seeing their pride in Rhiannon’s accomplishments add a personal touch to her story. It is clear that she has a supportive family behind her contributing to her success. Rhinannon’s journey reflects hard work, determination, and a strong support system which will give her a solid foundation in achieving her academic and career goals.
2023 – Scholarship Winner – Kerri H.
2023 – Scholarship Winner – Kerri H..
As most of you know I was unable to attend the awarding of Connie’s scholarship which was held on April 20th, as I had surgery two days before that.
While I was not able to attend my good friends from St. Jude attended for me. Thank you, Sara and Pat, I appreciate you guys attending for me.
I am in awe as the high school keeps finding such wonderful students to award this scholarship to. I am proud that they selected Kerri, even though I did not get to meet Kerri and her parents that night, Pat and Sara had wonderful things to say about Kerri and her parents. I know Connie would have been thrilled with the selection as she was always so proud of her Irish roots and Kerri and her parents have Irish roots also.
The other thing Connie would be even more proud of was that Kerri plans on going into the medical field which Connie always wanted to see scholarships awarded to people going into the medical field.
Kerri is on the AHS Swim & Dive team and the Metroplex Aquatic Swim Club.
She will be attending the University of Oklahoma and getting a degree in nursing. After that, she plans on continuing her education and pursuing a career as a pediatric orthopedic surgeon. One of the reasons she chose this field is that during her sophomore year of high school, she was diagnosed with chronic tendinosis in her quad and patella tendon. This led me to have three procedures on my knee, as well as two and a half years of physical therapy.
The many nurse practitioners that helped her through this journey inspire her to follow in their footsteps so that she can help other young athletes.
Sara and Pat could not say enough good things about Kerri and her parents and how much they enjoyed meeting them. You can tell she is a very giving person by the volunteer activities that she participated in. Some of them are the Swim & Dive Booster Club Football Concessions, Allen Eagle Give Day, Rotary leadership summit, Feed My Starving Children, North Texas Food Bank, John Paul II High School Adopt-A-Highway clean up, and the Copper Fitness Triathlon.
2022 – Scholarship Winner – Frank L.
2022 – Scholarship Winner – Frank F.
I had the honor of meeting Frank at the scholarship award ceremony last Thursday, April 21st. What a wonderful young man. One of the many things that stood out about Frank to me was his kindness. You could just feel his concern for others. Frank’s teacher wrote about him making sandwiches for the homeless and I could see that caring in him. He was always there to help me get up out of the chair and made sure I did not get lost going to the bathroom. He is a kind and generous young man.
This is the first time a male has won Connie’s scholarship and t could not have gone to a more deserving person. Frank will be the first in his family to attend college. He is going to attend the University of Illinois at Urbana – Champaign and major in “Sustainable Living”
Frank graduates with a 4.2 GPA and is ranked #169 in his class of 1,750 students. He is a member of the Band, NHS, Robotics Club, Allen eSports Club, and the Chinese Culture Club. He also finds time to volunteer in the community. Frank plans on majoring in Computer and Informational Sciences and becoming an Entrepreneur in leading technology. His inspirations are those who have gone from nothing to the top of their field: Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and especially his father.
Teacher Recommendation:It has been fun to watch Li (Frank) F. grow and mature over the past two years. When he virtually entered my IB classroom last year, he did not want to speak or contribute on screen. Around the time Covid restrictions lessened, one of his IB classmates was tragically murdered. Li struggled. Over the summer, Li took time to reflect, write, volunteer, and most importantly- grow. Frank entered his senior year as one of the leaders among the IB students. His humor, kindness, and inclusivity brought juniors and seniors together. Frank is one of my key helpers at PB & Joy every Friday after school making sandwiches for those experiencing homelessness in Dallas. Li (Frank) F is special to me and positively impacts those around him. I know this will continue as he moves to the collegiate level and his future career. I highly recommend Li (Frank) Fan for the Foundation scholarship. IB Theory of Knowledge Teacher
2021 – Scholarship Winner – Sarah C.
2021 – Scholarship Winner – Sarah C.
What a choice the Allen Foundation for Scholarship awards made this year for the scholarship in Connie’s name. It is a choice that I am very proud of and Connie would have been too. I had the opportunity to meet Sarah and her parents last night April 21st at the awards ceremony. What a wonderful family. They were gracious and kind. In just those few minutes of meeting them, I can understand why Sarah is so deserving of this scholarship. Below is a little bit about Sarah and you can see what a wonderful young lady she is. I am going to post the essay that she wrote for the scholarship, which I hope will touch you as much as it did me.
Sarah plans to study Psychology in college with a long-range goal of becoming an occupational therapist. She is very involved in her church which included doing summer missions, helping with the children on Sundays, and being a Vacation Bible school leader. Sarah was able to maintain high grades while also working after school at Chick-fil-A in Allen, and she has participated in archery and basketball teams. Sarah is also a member of the National Honor Society, Choir, and Girl Scouts. While all of this is impressive enough, it was her essay that made me proud that she was awarded the scholarship.
Sarah’s Essay:
“In June of 2019, the student group at my church traveled to Los Angeles, where we served the homeless community in various ways. I had gone on a few previous mission trips, but this one was different due to the strong emphasis on serving the homeless. Going into this trip, I was ecstatic and nervous about breaking out of my comfort zone and helping people I feared due to negative stereotypes. The world convinced me that the homeless community was full of danger due to drugs, sex trafficking, and various other crimes. These ideas led me to have a fear toward people I didn’t even know. I closed myself off from serving these people because of how I viewed them, but I discovered that the societal stereotype was utterly incorrect. The first person I met on Skid Row encouraged me, told the truth, and exuded love. This woman turned my notions upside down, giving me the courage to speak to people for three more hours. During those hours, I enjoyed some of the most genuine conversations of my life and left feeling as though these people served me. Since returning from this trip, I continue to challenge myself by remaining open to relationships with people I may view negatively due to the essential lessons I learned because I overcame my fear. I can now identify when I buy into stereotypes in a way that I had never been able to before because of those who live on Skid Row. If I had let my fear control me, I would’ve stood in the back and not had the meaningful experiences I had. I also would not have learned the important lesson about the negative impact of stereotypes on every person, no matter their circumstances. Since that trip, I have realized that stereotypes have prominently influenced my life and thoughts. Still, I am grateful to have opportunities to overcome these challenges and open myself to new relationships and experiences. I plan to use my newly found understanding of people’s authenticity to truly understand them and not base the first impression on a stereotype. Not only did this experience on skid row teach me about the way I had let stereotypes rule over me, but it also taught me that I couldn’t let fear take control. Before the trip, I didn’t live my life in fear but I also did my best to stay in my comfort zone. Now I work to extend and break out of my comfort zone because I have realized that some of the best moments in life come from overcoming things that generate fear.”
I found this essay very touching. One of her teachers mentioned a couple of Sarah’s qualities which were empathy and curiosity. Sarah has delivered a lesson for all of us to show empathy for those less fortunate than we are. We all can learn from this young lady.
Sarah, I wish you success in your chosen field (Occupational Therapist).
Thanks to the Allen Foundation for School for selecting such a wonderful, deserving, and worthy candidate.
2020 – Scholarship Winner –
Due to the virus this year the Allen Foundation was unable to hold it awarding of scholarships on April 27th. I have received the name of a young lady that won the scholarship this year. Until I receive permission from her, I will not publish her name or information about her. I will just say based upon what I have read, I am very happy with the decision of the board to award her the scholarship that was named for Connie. She will be majoring in pre-med.
2019 – Scholarship Winner Emily S.
2019 – Scholarship Winner – Emily S.
While I have been proud of all the winners of the scholarship that have been given in Connie’s name, this year the selection committee could not have come closer to what I had in mind when I establish this scholarship. I know if I had been picking Emily would have been the person I picked.
Some of you my friends are on this journey with me in losing a spouse, but can you imagine being a sophomore in high school and losing your father? Yes, Emily’s father died unexpectedly in 2016.
While I am not privy to everything a student writes for a scholarship, I am given some information about the student and their goals and aspirations. I could not read the little bit of information about Emily without shedding a tear. Here is a young lady in a loving family, whose whole world was literally turned upside down suddenly. In a moment everything changed for Emily and her family as her father was unexpectedly taken from her and her family.
I want to tell you why Emily is so deserving of this scholarship and why I am glad it was awarded to her. Emily is a well-rounded student who not only kept her grades up but played volleyball for our local high school as well as played on a nationally ranked club team. After this tragedy, Emily went to work after school to help her family by working at a restaurant chain, babysitting and dog sitting. She gladly took on this role to assist her mother and continue to maintain good grades. She also continued to volunteer at a local elementary school and her church.
I was fortunate to meet both Emily and her mother, a first-grade teacher, at the awards ceremony. They are both impressive young women. I was impressed by her mother’s love of teaching and how she had been there both for Emily and her brother, even though she too was suffering the loss of her husband. It was not only what Emily has accomplished through this loss but how she handles herself. She knows what she wants to do for a career. While dealing with this loss there was a bond built between mother and daughter and you could tell they had been there for each other through this tragedy. I know her father ((Erik) would have been so proud of her and his family. Through his wife and Emily, you could tell he was a wonderful man, who had a loving family. In Emily’s write up she spoke so fondly of her Dad and expressed a wonderful love for her father.
On a personal note the day of the awards ceremony was Connie’s birthday. I started the morning with a tear of sadness, but I ended the evening with a tear of joy as I know Connie would have been so pleased that Emily was selected to be awarded her scholarship.
Emily will attend the university of Arkansas and like her father she will be majoring in business marketing. She hopes to one day work for a company providing medical care or medical products in hopes of saving lives. I know she will be successful and I wish her the very best.
2018 – Scholarship Winner Vivian t.
2018 – Scholarship Winner – Vivian T.
The board made a great choice in selecting Vivian to receive the 2nd annual “Connie M. Buntley” Scholarship Award. They could not have made a better choice in awarding Vivian the second scholarship given in memory of my wife. I got to meet Vivian and Lang her grandmother last night at the scholarship
awards dinner. Vivian is a very delightful person who knows what she wants to do in life. She is going to be attending the University at Texas – Arlington to major in nursing. Which is one of the best nursing schools in Texas.
Vivian’s goal is to become a Nurse Practitioner. I did not know much about what a Nurse Practitioner was until I met Vivian and looked at the requirements. Below is the definition of a Nurse Practitioner and the requirements.
A Nurse Practitioner (NP) is a registered nurse (RN) with advanced training in diagnosing and treating illness. Nurse Practitioners prescribe medications, treat illness, and administer physical exams. NPs differ from physicians in that they focus on prevention, wellness, and education.
In Texas, the requirements are you must earn a nursing degree from an accredited university, graduate from an accredited university, become a registered nurse by passing the NCLEX-RN exam, gain several years of work experiences, then earn a master’s degree in nursing from an accredited university.
Let me just share a few things I learned last night from Vivian. She is a very talented person and has a lot of interest. Vivian is a member of the Allen High School orchestra where she plays the violin, she has worked part-time while attending school; she has worked at a nearby tearoom and teaches ice skating classes. Let just say she must be a very good ice skater.
She was a member of the following organizations during high school. National Honor Society, Interact (a Community Service organization), Red Cross, HOSA (Health & Science Club), UNICEF, and she was one of the 16 members of the Allen High School decathlon team.
Vivian was accompanied to the awards banquet by her grandmother as her parents were both working. I was also truly impressed by her grandmother.
Lang may have been a small person, but you could tell she was a strong woman full of determination and extremely happy for her granddaughter. She was a woman of strength and determination two characteristics that I also think her granddaughter has and will serve her well in the future.
Vivian, you have picked a career in serving others, and in my opinion, you will do very well. I could sense that you are a very caring person. I left with the feeling that those that end up in your care will be blessed to have had you look out for them in their time of sickness,
I am extremely happy and proud of the choice the board made to award you the 2018 Connie M. Buntley scholarship. The second one I have given in her name.
2017 – Scholarship Winner Chole S.
2017 – Scholarship Winner — Chloe S.
I could not be prouder of the person that the AISD board selected to receive the first Connie M. Buntley Scholarship Award. She had great reviews from her teachers and her employer. Not only did she work part-time she also held office in several academic clubs that she joined in high school. Chloe was a member of AHS Forensic Team Speech and Debate, National Honor Society, National Math Honor Society, Academic Decathlon, Physics Club, AHS Theatre Club, AHS PALS. Chloe is also interested in theater and works with the lighting and other backstage activities for Allen High School. She plans on continuing her theater work during college.
Chloe will be majoring in Physics. I got to meet and spend some time with Chloe at the awards banquet where several scholarships were presented. She was very impressive. She is wise beyond her years, knows what she wants to do and has a plan to get there.
Chloe, I wish you the best for your future. The board could not have picked a better person to receive the first scholarship awarded in Connie’s name.
TABLE OF CONTENTS LINK::: TOC