Help Ms. Chen through difficult times

You don't have to go far at Carnegie Vanguard High School before asking someone, "Who's Ms. Chen?" and hearing her name showered with praise and admiration.

Ms. Stephanie Chen is a hallmark of CVHS, a gem among many already-amazing teachers.

First, there's her class: her classroom's casual air is complemented by the way she effortlessly teaches all her students. Her deep knowledge of mathematics and engineering combined with her love for teaching others makes her not just incredibly knowledgeable, but also a reliable, devoted mentor.

Even more than her academic and educational merits, many can attest to her virtue as a person. She's kind, gentle, and always willing to help. She's relatable. She's friendly. Everyone you could ask would tell you something different about Ms. Chen's outstanding character, integrity, and humanity.

And as if all that wasn't enough to establish her as someone truly exceptional, there's the fact that she goes above and beyond for her students and school. She alone manages CVHS's fierce UIL Academics teams, encouraging student participation in academic competitions across a massive spectrum of disciplines, whilst also garnering the interest of new prospective talents. She also sponsors our very own CVHS Robotics Club, welcoming us into her room whenever necessary (and even attending competitions with us, including the World Championships in Dallas). She allows students to teach and learn with each other in her room at lunchtime, a privilege that transforms just a regular classroom at lunchtime into a bustling hub of educational exchange.

Our beloved teacher is more than just her students, though. She's a loving wife and a caring mother of two young boys.

As you might imagine, balancing her incredibly busy life at school with her responsibilities at home is no small feat. She infamously taught students with her baby in her arms during the pandemic, a fact that surprised (and impressed) many of her students. Despite her many, many obligations to her job, she's made plenty of room for her children -- whether that be bringing them with her to UIL competitions, or taking them on a field trip to Dallas for Robotics Worlds. In short, she works hard as both a mother and a teacher, making sure that both of those responsibilities are fulfilled to the greatest degree.

This year, however, has been tough on our warrior. After saving up "off days" across countless school years, Ms. Chen took a significant portion of last year off to care for her newborn son -- a workaround to the lack of paid maternity leave. While she was enabled to spend time with her family and take care of her son, the reality was that she no longer had any more "days off left" until she "gets some more." Additionally, teachers have been reeling from the recent HISD-TEA takeover, with the sweeping district changes and new policies affecting classrooms throughout Carnegie -- Ms. Chen's being no exception.

The stress of having to deal with these new policies has not been made easier with more recent circumstances, either. What do I mean by that?

Ms. Chen was recently diagnosed with cancer. We are terrified. One of Carnegie's best is going through one of the worst things a human can experience. And, as if matters weren't bad enough as is, she can't take any days off for her well-being -- she's "out of off days." So, not only does she have to keep her family functional, keep running her classes as normal, and keep adapting to the changing requirements of the district, but she has to do it all while constantly in pain and unsure of what's next, what recovery will look like, or even what's wrong -- not to mention dealing with the stress placed on her by the fact that if she misses too many classes this year, she could very likely lose her job. Her physical health has been in decline, but I (and many of the students who have grown to love her) fear that her mental health is following that decline, too. The job that Ms. Chen has devoted herself to, the one she loves, the one she has inspired so many through, is now in danger of being snatched away from her. We need to step in, to provide Ms. Chen with the safety net that the district won't give her, to give Ms. Chen the support she needs right now as she navigates through the incredibly challenging journey ahead of her. If we can take even a little bit of the weight off her shoulders, that would do bounds in allowing her to take some basic care of herself.

This money is intended to go toward medical expenses for any treatment she might end up needing, but it may also potentially be used for legal fees if the district takes action against her. Ultimately, it is her discretion how she decides to use these funds, but regardless of the final cause, she can most definitely use whatever financial relief we can offer her.