Jordan Woods, Lafayette High School, Awarded 2025 Caulk Memorial Scholarship

April 30, 2025: The Fayette Education Foundation is honored to award the Emmanuel “Manny” Caulk Jr. Memorial Scholarship again this year in memory of the former Fayette County Public Schools superintendent who dedicated his life to education and public service. The $2,500 scholarship supports a student pursuing a degree in education. We’re proud to carry on Manny’s legacy by helping the next generation of educators.

Jordan Woods, an exceptional student from Lafayette HS, was awarded the 2025 Caulk Memorial Scholarship on Wednesday at the second annual Teacher Signing Day, Fayette County Public Schools celebrated 52 high school seniors interested in careers in education. That number more than doubled last year’s group of honorees.

When asked why he wanted to teach Jordan shared, “I am driven to become a social studies teacher because understanding our past is a vital tool for creating a climate that champions diversity and unity. Not being presented with as many opportunities to connect with teachers who look like me is an experience I don’t want my students to go through. As someone who understands the value of education, shaping the minds of future thinkers is important if we want to progress society. I think the best way to equip students for the future is to connect them with history. I see history as a collection of ideas: oral, written, and artifacts that come together to recognize a movement, a meaning, or an opportunity. These processes are often ignored, but they hold value. Those who shaped human history have impacted entire generations. Their stories should never go untold. Most importantly, I want to teach students to think critically and work outside the box. We often tell students to stay in line, but I want to promote exploration. Our skills and abilities are only tested when we are given the opportunity to explore. I want to be the reason why my students want to go into history.”

Jordan has served as student representative on the Fayette Education Foundation board for the past two years and will attend Centre College in Fall 2025. He is bright, confident and kind. What more could you want in a teacher?

Find more information on the second annual FCPS Teacher Signing Day.

Donate to the Caulk Memorial Scholarship Fund.