For a time, Taura Rush thought becoming a teacher was out of reach. The Arizona Teachers Academy scholarship at Arizona State University — and access to an online degree program — changed that. 

In 2020, after leaving an abusive marriage, Rush, 34, returned to her family in the small town of Joseph City, Arizona. The single mother of two took a job as a school paraprofessional and, to make ends meet, also worked as the maintenance person on the same campus. 

Arizona State University is receiving $31.1 million from the state of Arizona to help elementary, middle and high school students whose learning was disrupted by COVID-19.

This money was set aside by Congress for the U.S. Department of Education Stabilization Fund (ESSER Funds) and is part of Arizona’s ARP School and Community Grantees. All funded projects share the goal of supporting schools, students, educators and families as they recover from the effects of the pandemic.

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