Exemplary student chosen for full scholarship

Photo courtesy of Cartwright Communications Media Relations

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Clayton Rackham (right), a Judge Memorial Catholic High School graduate, was chosen by 2009 Utah Teacher of the Year Mary Jane Morris (center) to receive a scholarship from the University of Phoenix Utah Campus. Selecting the scholarship’s recipi

SALT LAKE CITY – A student’s compelling essay about the support of his teachers earned a full-ride scholarship granted by the 2009 Utah Teacher of the Year.

Clayton Rackham, a Judge Memorial Catholic High School graduate, was selected as the recipient of a full scholarship at the University of Phoenix, where he began classes this fall.

Rackham was chosen by Mary Jane Morris, the 2009 Utah Teacher of the Year and a parishioner at Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Salt Lake City.

“I chose Clayton because he praised several teachers who had made a great impact on his life. They supported him while he faced learning and personal challenges,” Morris said.

Rackham said that he was “amazed and dazed,” when he found out he was the scholarship recipient. “I am excited that my family won’t have to worry” about his tuition, he added.

As part of the scholarship competition, Morris asked interested students to write essays about their future aspirations and how they would use their scholarship if selected as the recipient.

Rackham’s essay narrated his struggles through his student life. “I have ADD [Attention Deficit Disorder] which means that it is hard for me to focus, my attention can be drawn into different things very easily,” he said.

He expressed gratitude to several past instructors who helped him overcome the learning disability and encouraged him to earn better grades. Rackham referred to one teacher in particular who inspired him: Matt Pack, the 6th-grade teacher at Saint Olaf Catholic School in Bountiful.

“I remember Clayton as a very cheerful and friendly student,” Pack said. “He has a great sense of humor and worked hard in class. Clayton got along well with other students and has a calm, down-to-earth demeanor. Clayton worked hard in school. He persevered through those subjects that did not come as easily as others. Clayton definitely is a great example of a student who did his best and received a reward for his hard work.”

Rackham returned the compliments, saying Pack “was phenomenal and helped me with my self-esteem at a time when I felt like an outcast.”

His first year at the University of Phoenix has been going great, he said. His classes are on line for the first two years; then he has to choose to continue studying in Utah or move to Phoenix while he earns a teaching degree.

“My advice to all the students that struggle with ADD is to take it easy and try to take one thing at the time instead of overloading yourself,” said Rackham.

“I am delighted that he has chosen to become a teacher,” Pack said. “I love this profession and feel we need more strong, positive male role models in classrooms. Clayton will make a great teacher.”