Helping out the rest

Rodas Hailu, Co-Editor-in-Chief

December 5, 2012

For the 2012-2013 school year, eight Downey High School teachers have been awarded grants reaching a total of over $40,000, from the Mary R. Stauffer Foundation, for classroom goals they want to accomplish. According to Denise Takano, $440,000 has been given for teacher projects in the Downey Unified School District.

Teachers Mr. Hansen, Ms. Puente, Ms. Cordova, and Mr. Thompkins each received grants for up to $4,500 for projects ranging from purchasing curtains for the drama class to updating the advanced photo studio. Teachers Mr. Harris, Ms. Berumen, and Mr. Durkee, also individually received grants for up to $3,000 to enhance their classroom needs. Mr. Redfox received the highest cash prize of $27,000 from the Mary Stauffer Foundation.

Created by Stauffer herself, in 1992, the Mary R. Stauffer Foundation has given numerous donations to the people and institutions within the Downey community.

Recipients of these cash must use the money for what they requested in the grant proposal. Usually, the foundation sends out invitations for individuals or groups to apply for funds to implement projects they are interested in.

As a teacher for the Introduction to Engineering class, Redfox needed the $27,000 grant to update the five-year old computers used in his classroom.

“These computers are really old,” Redfox said. “We weren’t getting new computers and we needed to update our software.”

The Mary R. Stauffer Foundation has not forgotten the students. Many middle school and high school students have received checks ranging from $100 to $500 because of exemplary grades. Junior Cristina Lee-Castro was awarded a $100 and a $500 check in her sixth, and seventh grade years in middle school, respectively. Although she received the highest cash donation of $500 four years ago, Lee-Castro maintains a significant amount of respect for Stauffer.

“I would thank her so much for awarding me with such a huge honor, and I would also thank her for making me feel proud and good about myself,” Lee-Castro said, “but most of all, I would thank her for helping my parents to start saving up money for college.”

Although her foundation was started over twenty years ago, Stauffer has maintained the energy and dedication to making the Downey community thrive. The money her foundation has given out has helped create programs, such as Project Lead the Way, an engineering program at Downey that exposes students to a world they might not otherwise have explored. By her charitable contributions, many students have the opportunity to expand on their growing knowledge. Many cannot thank her enough, but Stauffer says she’s only doing her job.

“God made me that way, I guess,” Stauffer said. “It was the way I was raised. It is the right thing to do.”

No matter the circumstances, Stauffer still makes hefty donations to her community. Even during the economic recession, she was still fortunate to assist others; however, at the end of the day, Stauffer believes that we as a whole population should work together to create a better environment.

“I just do my part,” Stauffer said. “We should all do our own part.”

About the Contributor

Rodas Hailu, Co-Editor-in-Chief

Rodas Hailu, Co-Editor-in-Chief of The Downey Legend, leads the 2013-2014 staff into a busy and exciting year, introducing them to the journalistic world and all its wonders. The writer and photographer first entered the online newspaper as a junior, landing the position of Student Life Editor and turned heads when her stories revealed a seemingly natural instinct for investigative journalism. One year in newspaper left Hailu craving more: a position of leadership where she could let her ideas flourish and create a more successful website. As this year’s editor, she hopes to lead her team into greatness and provide a comfortable workspace. According to the senior, there is no room for mediocrity in the online newspaper. “I don’t want the writers and photographers to be apathetic at all,” Hailu said. “If they are in The Downey Legend, they are in The Downey Legend.” Full force and with great efforts, the talented student hopes to heighten the newspaper’s popularity and implement new ideas, hopefully capturing a new, wider audience. The senior, who is often described as an old soul, admires classical music and is moved by each powerful note in pieces composed by Prokofiev, Shostakovich, and Khatchaturian. A violinist of 7 years, her appreciation for works of art extends to cinema, and claims to be an avid movie watcher. “I really love to watch movies with a good script, amazing characters, and wonderful cinematography,” Hailu said. With a sixth sense for different forms of human creativity, she hopes to become a student in a liberal arts college and experience the intimacy of a less populated university. The future awaits Hailu, a force to be reckoned with in the arts field, and she predicts she will be living on her own because of her “innate independence.” Living day by day and constantly telling herself, “whatever happens, happens,” she tunnels her focus on The Downey Legend and its future success. A true leader with a mind coiled with layers of depth, Hailu reveals bits and pieces of her vision through her various works or art, photographs and stories.