Student-Athlete Alyssa Lemon Receives $2,500 Grant to Pursue Teaching Degree

Photo Submitted

Alyssa Lemon

Alyssa Lemon recently received a $2,500 grant designated for student-athletes who plan to pursue teaching.

Lemon is on the University of Arkansas Razorback swimming and diving team and is a childhood education major in the College of Education and Health Professions. She was awarded the grant through the College Football Playoff Foundation's Go Teach initiative and the Dr. Pepper Tuition Giveaway Program.

Lemon said she's grateful to the foundation for helping student-athletes like her reach their goal of becoming teachers.

"The CFP Foundation has a strong passion for bringing student-athletes into the classroom to empower students to use the skills we learn in college athletics," she said. "This grant has given me the confidence to know that I can bring skills I've learned during my time as a Razorback — like communication, leadership and teamwork — to my future students and motivate them to achieve their goals."

The CFP Foundation and Dr. Pepper are growing the Go Teach initiative to place qualified teachers in classrooms across the nation. Launched in 2019 following a pilot program at the University of Texas at Austin, the initiative quickly expanded to a dozen schools by the end of 2019. Today, more than 15 schools are program and identifying creative ways to help student athletes move into the teaching profession.