Alexis Ponce-Bautista is congratulated by his family after receiving the BASD Superintendent's Scholarship to Moravian University. Photo by Nick Chismar ’20
The (BASD) Bethlehem Area School District Superintendent’s Scholarship to attend Moravian University was started in 2016 and has helped more than 20 BASD graduating seniors.
The two recipients of this year’s annual Bethlehem Area School District (BASD) Superintendent’s Scholarship to attend Moravian University aspire to study law and science.
Freedom High School senior Peyton Walker wants to become a lawyer, while Liberty High School senior Alexis Ponce-Bautista intends to study environmental science. On a bright, unseasonably warm Thursday, the two were celebrated by their teachers, friends, and families, as they received the scholarship covering four years of tuition at Moravian.
“Today is one of the very best days for Bethlehem Area School District, and I’m sure Moravian University as well,” said BASD Superintendent Jack Silva, who is retiring at the end of the school year. “It’s hard to believe that 10 years ago we started this full-tuition scholarship to help ease the path for a graduate from Liberty High School and Freedom High School to both become Hounds.”
Silva said BASD is fortunate to have a longstanding partnership with Moravian University—one that has already helped 20 students, and soon 22, from the district pursue higher education at Moravian. Since 2016, the annual scholarship has been awarded to one graduating senior from Freedom High School and one from Liberty High School.
During his remarks, Moravian University President Bryon Grigsby ’90, P’22, P’26, P’29 noted that Bethlehem’s Historic Moravian Church Settlements received UNESCO World Heritage status because of the Moravians’ enduring human value, which includes educating others.
“The Moravians knew that if you didn’t start educating the community, you wouldn’t have a community for very long,” Grigsby said.
The Moravians were the first to educate women, recognizing that women are the first to educate children. The Moravians even taught the Lenape in their native language, and both freed and enslaved African Americans, Grigsby said.
“There is a long history of educating those which others often overlook, and this [scholarship] is a way to give back to our community, to continue that tradition of giving back by providing a tuition-free scholarship,” he added.
This Year’s Recipients
Liberty’s Alexis Ponce-Bautista beamed as he talked about his plans to study environmental science at Moravian University. His interest in the subject started in eighth grade when he joined the gardening club.
“It introduced me to the beauty of nature, and as I progressed through high school, I started to realize how everything is connected. . . .I want to study environmental science to make the world a better place,” he said.
The scholarship recipients submit a personal essay to be considered for the academic award. Ponce-Bautista is the youngest of three children in a first-generation immigrant household. In his essay, Ponce-Bautista wrote about how his parents immigrated to the United States with little formal education.
“As I got older, my background started to feel limiting,” Ponce-Bautista wrote. “Growing up with the uncertainty of immigrant parents and a constant fear of the unknown, I felt as if I wasn’t capable and worthy of an education. I watched peers start planning for college with the support of their family, causing me to question whether I really belonged in those types of conversations.”
Ponce-Bautista’s older sister, Giselle Ponce-Bautista ’25, received the BASD Superintendent’s Scholarship in 2021 and majored in neuroscience during her time at Moravian. She is now studying for the Medical College Admission Test so that she can attend medical school.
“Watching my older sister carve a path to achieve college education gave me the hope that I hold now: There is light at the end of the tunnel to reach for,” Ponce-Bautista wrote in his essay “Those difficult moments I experienced, before I even realized it, were the beginnings of my independence—my ambition to want to make a difference in the world.”
In his essay, Freedom’s Walker recounted his experience of being diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes in June 2020. Walker had to learn how to check his blood sugar, administer insulin, count carbohydrates, and recognize the warning signs when something felt off. There were moments of frustration and fear, especially when his blood sugar numbers didn’t behave as they should.
“Over time, diabetes reshaped how I see myself. I became more disciplined, more patient, and more honest about my limits. I learned to plan ahead, stay calm in high-stress situations, and to take responsibility for outcomes that are often unpredictable,” he wrote.
These lessons will carry over to his journey at Moravian University, where Walker said he plans to begin his academic career toward becoming a lawyer. Walker, who played drums since fourth grade, is a member of the Freedom High School Patriot Band and a drum captain.
He became interested in law after taking a government economics class. The class included debates around constitutional rights and examined United States Supreme Court decisions.
“I’m extremely grateful for this scholarship, and I look forward to continuing my education at Moravian. I would also like to thank my family for not only being here, but pushing me forward and encouraging me,” he said. —Christina Tatu
For More Information Visit moravian.edu/admissions/superintendent-scholarship
Photos by Nick Chismar ’20
