Education Grant WinnerEliza Vela

As a student, being recognized for your hard work can light a fire in you to continue that level of production. When we acknowledge the efforts of students who exceed expectations, not only are you sparking that motivation in them, but you are also increasing their engagement and interest in school to be better than ever before.

Eliza Vela, educator at Longfellow Middle School, wanted to extend her participation on her school’s National Junior Honor Society (NJHS) to reward students who go above and beyond in the classroom, and to promote their accolades to push other students to strive for that same success. Thanks to Power of the Dollar® members, she was awarded a $1,000 grant in December 2025 for her “Spartan Scholars” project idea, which she then used the grant funds to re-register the NJHS—something they were losing funding for in the district—as well as customized t-shirts, decorations for their initiation, and more!

“Last year, I was trying to get NJHS started back up again, and the kids were really excited to get back into it—it was the first time I was sponsoring it, too,” said Vela. “I needed help to pay for these things for the children so I can congratulate them and celebrate the fact that they do well in school. Sometimes, they are the ones who get left out. Because this was something that was already in place, I just wanted to build off of it.”

The five pillars of the NJHS are: scholarship, service, leadership, character, and citizenship. Each student who applies to join the NJHS must embody those five pillars, and they must maintain a grade-point average of 80 or higher. Due to these parameters, Ms. Vela has not only seen an increase of students eager to join the NJHS, but higher scores academically, making a huge impact within the district. Changing the negative narrative middle school students have about academics is important because it steers them in the right direction, and Ms. Vela is taking that initiative.

“This is something that’s national, so the kids get all excited that it’s [NJHS] very prestigious,” she said. “They still have to apply to get in, so it’s putting responsibility on their part. The kids will keep coming by my room asking, ‘How did my application go?’ I was so happy when I got it because this is amazing because I am able to do what I wanted to do, and the parents are very happy about it and want to learn more!”