|
|
Best of the Best Receive
PCRTA Future Teacher Scholarships!
Seven future teachers,
recent high school graduates from Portage County, will be introduced at our July 21 luncheon. It is exciting to see the best
and the brightest students enter the field of education. The scholarship committee reviewed 23 applicants from ten schools:
Aurora, Crestwood, Field, Garfield, Kent Roosevelt, Ravenna, Rootstown, Southeast, Streetsboro,
and Waterloo. All winners were at the top of their classes.
Four valedictorians have decided to teach! With high test scores and grades, exceptional teacher
recommendations and an amazing array of leadership and service activities, these students are truly the
best of the best.
Rootstown's valedictorian, Nathan Dreger,
is excited to major in bio-chemistry and play soccer at the University of Mount Union. He plans to earn a doctorate and eventually
teach at the high school or college level. Nathan participated in home schooling as a freshman and sophomore. He has been
involved in sports, Buckeye Boys State as a resident and a counselor, and a church lector. The staff at Rootstown has
found Nathan to be an organized, self-motivated, and intelligent person that also possesses great moral character and is mature
well beyond his age. He is a very hard working, respectful, and responsible young man.
Joshua Foerst, Streetsboro's
valedictorian, will receive the Myers scholarship in memory and honor of Carole J. Myers. He plans to participate in a five-year engineering program where he will earn a BA degree in physics at the College of Wooster
and a BA in mechanical engineering at Case Western Reserve University. He will
minor in education at Wooster. He has participated in scouting (Eagle Scout), band, tutoring, club officer, numerous service
projects, and is the promotions director of 88.9 FM WSTB The AlterNation. His science teacher relays that Josh's moral
compass keeps himtrue. He stands out as a young man with an open heart and open mind.
The two-year Career Paths for the Teaching Profession program at
Kent Roosevelt has provided seven internship opportunities for Lauren Stevens
to jump start her career. She will major in early childhood education at Kent State University and is interested in working
at an inner-city school. She has experience in incorporating technology (SmartBoard, Noodle, video cameras) through her field
experiences where she designed and taught lessons. She has been a volunteer at Safety School and Special Olympics and is a
class instructor at Akron's Imaginarium. Her teacher praises her flexibility and cooperative nature; she is hardworking,
dedicated, and kind.
Kayla Titko, Field
valedictorian, will major in music education at Kent State University. Whether it is a show choir, general choir, or concert
choir, she is excited to teach kids about the wonders of music. She has been choir officer and has participated in drama productions.
She was a captain and letter winner in three sports, class officer, and a member of student council and National Honor Society.
Active in her church, Kayla is president of the youth group and has participated in many service projects. Her teacher calls
her the best of the best; she works hard, achieves at a high level, and leads by example.
Brittany Woodard is
the epitome of a scholar-athlete. A four-year letter winner in volleyball at Southeast, she has received league, district,
and state volleyball academic awards. She hopes to continue playing volleyball at the University of Mount Union where she
will major in education. She plans to teach kindergarten, first or second grade and wants to make a difference in someone's
life. She has been a crew leader in a freshman transition program. Her coach predicts she will be a good teacher because of
her dedication and hard work. Her counselor mentions she is intelligent, compassionate, responsible, and dedicated which are
the qualities we need in future educators.
The University of Akron will find Ravenna valedictorian, Jasmine Wriston,
enrolled in the college of education. She plans to earn a BA in middle childhood education math and science and then work
toward an MA and gain different licenses in the teaching field that will make her more marketable and a better teacher. She
participated in track and cross country and has held several leadership roles. She was selected for a nine-week internship
program at Cleveland Clinic. Her counselor calls her self-disciplined, self-motivated, extremely mature, possessing a
strong sense of values and ethical standards. She has a delightful sense of humor and an air of gracefulness.
Melisssa Mellinger
graduated from Field in 2010 and has completed one year at the
University of Akron. She was selected for a PCRTA Future Teacher Scholarship last year; but after thoughtful consideration,
she decided to enter college as an undecided major and forgo the scholarship which is intended for future teachers. It is
refreshing to know that her character and her honesty outranked her desire to accept our scholarship at that time. While attending
college, she realized that her true passion is children, and she enrolled in the college of education. She is majoring in
early childhood education; and she is determined to change the world through her
teaching, one child at a time. Melissa was the editor of the Field newspaper and participated in athletics and music. Through
her church she has taken part in several mission trips. Her journalism advisor calls her self-motivated and independent.
Congratulations to these seven scholarship recipients
for 2011!
|
