Donald (Trae) Holzman ‘07
Great Grads: Donald (Trae) Holzman ‘07
Selected by the Honors and Awards Committee for the Storthz Plaque, which recognizes an “Outstanding Graduating Senior” for leadership and character, Donald (Trae) Holzman graduated with a B.A. in philosophy. Holzman, son of Shawn West of Fort Smith, will teach secondary mathematics in the Delta for two years through the Teach for America program.
Holzman was initially attracted to UALR because of its Donaghey Scholars Program; he also participated in the Friday Sturgis and Ronald McNair Scholars programs. Through the Friday Sturgis Leadership Program he participated in a conference about changing the world “in what way you can.” A session on “Closing the Achievement Gap” inspired him to apply for Teach for America, a national corps of recent college graduates who teach in low-income urban and rural public schools where there is a shortage of teachers.
He worked for over two years at UALR Disability Support Services where he incorporated captioning for deaf and hard-of-hearing students who take online courses. An avid Children International volunteer, Holzman organized the first Youth Summit for 100 teens at UALR, developed a Chess Club as an after-school program for fourth and fifth graders at Wilson Elementary, and served as a youth mentor creating diverse learning styles to better relate to the students. He also gave up his senior year spring break to assist high school students research colleges and guide them on a tour of the UALR campus.