Samantha Walters and Sarah Mountain of Danvers were among the first group of 12 students chosen in 2014 to receive the Colleen E. Ritzer Memorial Scholarship for future teachers.

The new graduates of Salem State University now are set to embark on their own teaching careers, inspired by Ritzer, the young Danvers High math teacher murdered at the school nearly five years ago.

“Math is not a subject that everyone loves,’’ said Walters, who will teach math part-time at Revere High School, while also pursuing a master’s degree in education at Salem State. “But she made it really fun and engaging.’’

Mountain will work as a teaching fellow in Danvers schools, while also working on her master’s degree at Salem. Ritzer’s legacy “ . . . of treating people the way you want to be treated,’’ resonated with her.

Ritzer, who grew up in Andover, graduated from Assumption College in Worcester. She was 24, and in her second year at Danvers High, when she was stabbed to death at the school in October, 2013, by one of her algebra students.

Her family established the memorial scholarships to educate future teachers from Andover and Danvers in her name. Since 2014, 48 students have received a total of $190,000 in scholarships. Money is raised by grass-roots fund-raisers, such as Step Up For Colleen, an annual 5k road race held each May.

Nine scholarships were awarded last month to seniors from the two towns.

“I got the scholarship because of somebody who already made an impact on everyone with her kindness,’’ said Mikayla Goodwin of Andover, who plans to study elementary education at St. Anselm College. “She changed people’s lives.’’

“I want to impact my students the way she did,’’ said Caroline Medwar of Andover, who will major in elementary education at the University of New Hampshire.

The scholarship fund this year is also celebrating a milestone: The first recipients are gearing up to enter their own classrooms.

“The inaugural group of scholarship recipients in Colleen’s name will always hold a special place in our hearts, “ the Ritzer family said in a statement. “ . . . each of them endured and shared with us the tragic loss of Colleen. Awarding the scholarships that year was one of the few glimmers of light during those dark days.’’

One of those first recipients, Catie Lamoly of Danvers, remembers walking into Ritzer’s classroom, dreading taking Algebra II.

“Right off the bat, she was really approachable and kind,’’ said Lamoly, who graduated with a degree in secondary education and history from Roger Williams University in May.

“The things that Miss Ritzer taught me, they made me want to do that for someone else,’’ added Lamoly, who is looking for a job. “Getting to bring that forward, to represent that when she can’t, just means the whole entire world to me.’’

The Ritzer scholars are encouraged to embrace Ritzer’s warmth, kindness, and passion for teaching. At a time of extreme gun violence in American schools, those qualities are more important than ever, said Emily Felter, a 2014 recipient from Andover.

“With everything going on right now, in terms of social relations and gun violence, it’s important just to teach our children how to be good people,’’ said Felter, an elementary education major at Endicott College, where she’ll continue in graduate school this fall.

Ritzer used Twitter to connect with her students, posting both homework assignments and cheerful musings. One quote, “No matter what happens in life, be good to people. Being good to people is a wonderful legacy to leave behind,’’ has become widely associated with her.

The quote was inscribed on a paperweight a friend gave Walters when she graduated in May. She plans to keep it in her classroom. “Looking at this with Ms. Ritzer’s quote everyday will remind me of one of the reasons why I chose teaching, and remind me to stay positive,’’ said Walters, who had Ritzer for Algebra II.

Mountain said she carries a rubber wristband from the annual Step Up for Colleen 5K in her backpack, and has a “CR’’ sticker — Ritzer’s initials — stuck on her laptop.

“They remind me that there’s always something good in every day,’’ Mountain said. “I want to instill that in other kids and help make the world a better place by teaching this.’’

Alana Levene can be reached at alana.levene@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter @alanalevene.