Grace Betancourt
Myself Third Spirit of New York 2004 Scholarship Winner
Francis Lewis High School
Queensborough Community College
"Grace is one of those rare teenagers who exudes maturity, motivation and self-confidence, while still maintaining her sweet, warm personality. Unlike many teenagers, Grace has always been very focused on her studies—carrying her books and assignments with her - and working on them whenever she can. Grace consistently shows a lot of curiosity about new subjects and topics and has especially enjoyed working at a New York City law firm this year. A combination of energy, organization and enthusiasm has allowed Grace to juggle school, internships and work easily all along the way. Grace is an exceptional, bright young woman and any college or university would be lucky to have her as a student."
—Terry Keenan, Anchor, Fox News Channel
Work, Volunteer, and Extra-Curricular Activities
- SPARK Club
- Drama Club
- Peer Tutor
- Moot Court Team
Excerpts from Grace's Essay
The country of United States is a land of opportunity, freedom and overall of patriotism. This nation has surpassed many harsh experiences such as the tragedy of 9/11. Being the strong united nation that it is, little by little, it has gotten back on its feet. Similarly, I have encountered many obstacles since my early teenage years, but with the support this nation provides I have been able to use them as learning experiences to achieve my goals and set examples to others.
Every activity I perform either at school or at work is a stepping stone that reflects what I had to endure in my early teenage years. Due to this I became involved in my community as a peer tutor at PS 60 in Woodhaven twice a week. I became involved with little kids who, like my mother, experience difficulty due to language barriers. My struggles in life made me realize that now more than ever I should demonstrate to others that, although life gets rough sometimes, one should use these as learning experiences towards your goals.
