Manchester Native Earns Prestigious Scholarship

Justis Lopez was recently honored by the Alma Exley Scholarship Program, which promotes greater diversity in the teaching profession.

Lopez, a graduate of Manchester High School, has completed his degrees in the five-year Integrated Bachelor’s and Master’s Program in the Neag School of Education at the University of Connecticut.

He received a B.S. in Education with a major in history in May 2014 and received an M.A. in Education last month.

Lopez joins 25 others previously honored in the program established in memory of Alma Exley of West Hartford, a former teacher and an employee of the State Department of Education, who died in March 1995 from breast cancer.

Previous scholarship recipients are serving in public schools in Avon, Bloomfield, Manchester, Meriden, New Haven and Westport, and in public schools from Boston to Los Angeles.

The scholarship program is intended to honor future teachers who mirror the diversity of the student population, understand students’ diverse cultural backgrounds, serve as positive role models for minority and non-minority students, and provide a classroom environment that respects and celebrates a diversity of cultures.

Exley envisioned the program as a way to recognize and support outstanding persons of color who are preparing for careers in education. She believed that students of all ethnic backgrounds would benefit from greater diversity in the teaching profession.

Lopez has an outstanding record of academic achievement, public service, and campus leadership, and his flair for leadership became apparent early in his college career. As a freshman, he received the Emerging Leader Student Life Award in recognition of his leadership in programs to orient and support new students.

At UConn, Lopez lent his talents to a variety of initiatives to promote diversity and multicultural understanding. He was one of 14 students chosen to take the lead in fostering an inclusive community at the university.

He has also worked in an inter-university initiative with the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education to broaden the demographic makeup of the teacher workforce.

Lopez has been active in other campus organizations such as Bring Awareness to Latino Ethnicities, the Puerto Rican and Latino Cultural Center, and Leadership in Diversity, intended to “put the lid on the achievement gap.”

He was a familiar figure at UConn sports events performing as Jonathan the Husky as a sophomore. Lopez was also the UConn Homecoming King in 2014.

In addition, he has made a name for himself as master of ceremonies and DJ for more than 300 social events. Based on this experience, he has established Justis League Entertainment, which provides music and photography for school functions, weddings, and business events.

While pursuing a wide variety of extra-curricular activities, Lopez has achieved a strong academic record and has won praise from the faculty for outstanding performance in his student teaching assignments.

Photo Caption: Justis Lopez, center, is welcomed into the Alma Exley Scholarship family by previous recipients Desi Nesmith, left, of Bloomfield Schools, and Dr. Miguel Cardona, right, of Meriden Schools. Photo courtesy of Dennis Buden.