Daivari Rogers was awarded the McKenzie Foundation & Uncharted Learning 2023 GritGrant award. He was chosen as one of four recipients from across the country! Rock Island High School is the only school in the Incubatoredu program to have multiple winners of this award. Rocky also had a winner in 2021.
Daivari graduated in 2023 but came back to Rocky on August 28 to receive his award. Margarita Geleske, Chief Evangelist for Uncharted Learning, and Jim McKenzie from the McKenzie Foundation were at RIHS to meet current and former entrepreneurship students. They also presented laptops to students as well as the McKenzie Foundations Grit Award to Daivari.
Any high school student who is enrolled in an INCubatoredu / ACCELeratoredu and/or MobileMakersEdu / MobileMakersStudio programs can be nominated. Daivari was nominated by his INCubatoredu teacher, Trish Matson.
GritGrants are based on a student’s Grit and Character. Elements of “Grit” include:
- Optimism, confidence, and creativity
- Resilience despite fear
- Laser-like focus on meaningful goals
- Excellence not perfection
- “Character” as described by CharacterLab.org refers to ways of thinking, acting, and feeling that benefit others as well as ourselves. Character is plural—encompassing strengths of heart, mind, and will.
- Strengths of heart (such as gratitude and kindness) enable harmonious relationships with other people.
- Strengths of mind (such as curiosity and creativity) enable independent thinking.
- Strengths of will (such as discipline and self-control) enable the achievement of goals.
In her nomination letter, Mrs. Matson said Daivari exemplifies all of these things and did so while facing some setbacks, "Daivari has not let his personal tragedies define him or become angry or bitter because of them. He continues to work hard and persevere through unthinkable tragedies. He would be a worthy recipient of the Grit Award.
Along with the award, Daivari received $2,500 from the foundation.
Congratulations Daivari!
From left to right: Jim McKenzie, Daivari Rogers, Trish Matson
Jim McKenzie, Jeff Whitaker, Daivari Rigers, Trish Matson, and Margarita Geleske
Daivari Rogers speaking with RIMSD BOE member Gary Rowe and Interim Superintendent Alan Boucher.
Daivari Rogers with his entrepreneurship team from 2022, Avery Flactiff, Zach Draper, Dianna Biswell, and Mia Delarosa.