Dr. Jeffrey A. Grigg Memorial Teaching Fellow Scholarship

About Jeffrey

A San Francisco native, Jeffrey was one of the first students to graduate from SF Day School. He went on to attend San Francisco University High School and subsequently Yale University; during his years there, Jeffrey spent a summer as a Teaching Fellow at Breakthrough San Francisco (then known as Day School Summerbridge). Inspired to enter the field of education, he worked for a year at St. Paul’s School in London, then began teaching English at the Hopkins School in New Haven, where he also served as Director of Breakthrough New Haven (then Summerbridge New Haven.)

Jeffrey went on to earn master’s degrees in educational leadership and policy analysis and in sociology, followed by a doctorate in sociology, and subsequently joined the faculty at the Johns Hopkins School of Education. An award-winning scholar, he was known for his collaboration across departments and for his involvement with efforts on behalf of young people in Baltimore. His research explored a myriad of factors impacting children’s school success, especially young people facing significant disadvantages. In keeping with his background as a sociologist, he brought to his work a holistic approach that examined both school and societal structures and acknowledged children’s full lived experiences.

Jeffrey was committed to a career in the education field, and believed in education as a tool both for developing oneself and for enacting positive social change. Both professionally and personally, he embodied Breakthrough’s core values of collaboration, excellence, gratitude, perseverance, and responsibility. This scholarship in his memory seeks to continue his life’s work by increasing educational opportunities for other Breakthrough Teaching Fellows who want to pursue careers in education.

Other Notes

• We awarded scholarships of $7,500 each to two Teaching Fellow alumni for 2020-21 and two more for 2021-22.
  
• We will prioritize applicants who are underrepresented in the teaching profession
• If you have previously applied for the scholarship but did not receive it, you’re welcome to reapply, as long as you continue to meet the eligibility criteria
• We’ll get back to all applicants by early April, in advance of the National Graduate School Enrollment Response Deadline (April 15, 2023)