Working in a grocery store by night and squeezing in an office job during the day – all while carrying a full course load – a University of Houston biology student is breathing a little easier this semester due to a generous scholarship and a stipend.

Jackie Ekeoba is still working her way through college, as are her three siblings, but now she's able to dive headlong into her passion for biology and teaching. Without a car and relying on public transportation, Ekeoba rode the bus to and from school, as well as to and from her job that included many late-night bus rides home after work.

After proving herself in teachHouston, a teacher preparation program started in 2007 at UH, Ekeoba was approached about increasing her hours as a student worker in the teachHouston administrative offices with the support of a stipend. Thanks to generous donations to the program, she gladly accepted the offer and now has the chance to work on campus.

Being afforded this opportunity allowed her to devote more time to studying, and now she's getting top grades and is one of six original students who have stayed with the program since its inception. Her staying power and success in the classroom qualified Ekeoba for a $5,000 merit scholarship this year, made possible by a gift from the Sid Richardson Foundation.

"This program has been a godsend to me – a great blessing," Ekeoba said. "Many college students don't know what they want to do, and this is the time to figure it out. TeachHouston really helped me with this and also lets me give back to the community."

The goal of teachHouston, a collaborative effort between the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics and the College of Education, is to help urban schools attract and retain qualified personnel. It immerses aspiring math and science educators like Ekeoba in public school classrooms early in their college careers.

Ekeoba first had aspirations for medical school or coursework in the forensic sciences. Then, after helping out one of her older sisters in Bible class, she found out that she really enjoyed teaching and began tutoring at some of the elementary schools she once attended. It was then, in her sophomore year at UH, that she received an invitation in the mail from teachHouston to explore its offerings.

The rest, as they say, is history. Ekeoba is now a senior and has worked with mentors at all three levels – elementary, middle and high school – at participating Houston-area school districts, observing and then completing five supervised assignments in each teacher's classroom. Next fall, she is on track to complete the student teaching requirement for the degree.

Ekeoba's ultimate reward will be when she earns her bachelor's degree in biology, as well as her teaching certificate, to pursue her dream of becoming a high school biology teacher.

Donations to teachHouston have made possible work-study stipends and scholarships to dedicated students like Ekeoba.

In the past year, teachHOUSTON donors included the National Math and Science Initiative, the Sid Richardson Foundation, the Greater Texas Education Foundation, Chevron, the Powell Foundation, El Paso Corporation and the Educational Advancement Foundation.