Doctoral candidate Lorie Johnson, the 2009 recipient of the Albert Hamilton Collins Annual Graduate Fellowship, discusses the effect scholarship donors have on aspiring educators and the children they will eventually teach.

 

In speaking on behalf of the recipients during the 8^th Annual College of Education Scholarship Awards Ceremony, Lorie Johnson explained how the generosity of donors becomes exponential and everlasting.

The endowment of a scholarship or the establishment of an annual award becomes multiplicative in nature because the donor isn't simply assisting in the formation of a future educator through his or her gift.

"You give vicariously to all of those students they will teach,'' said Johnson, a doctoral candidate in reading education and the recipient of the Albert Hamilton Collins Annual Graduate Fellowship.

Thanks to the giving spirit of its donors, the College of Education awarded more than 150 scholarships for the second consecutive year.

With the help of new donors and its portfolio of existing endowments, the College of Education continued to create new opportunities for its students in the way of 168 undergraduate scholarships, graduate assistantships, fellowships and awards. This year, the college awarded more than $329,000 - $25,000 more than it granted in 2008. The total includes 141 undergraduate scholarships and 27 graduate awards, building on last year's previously unprecedented total of 130 scholarships and 20 graduate awards worth $277,000.

The college hosted 525 students, parents and donors at its annual scholarship ceremony and reception held at The Hotel at Auburn University and Dixon Conference Center on August 29.

Johnson, who earned a bachelor's degree in early childhood education and a master's in reading education from Auburn, said the scholarships play a critical role in training educators to meet the challenges presented by an evolving world and the needs of children who are increasingly technology savvy and dependent.

"Teachers are trying to reach and teach students to prepare for a future that we know won't look like the present,'' Johnson said. "... Teachers have a tremendous charge to keep. They have to reach children who have been wired from birth and have more friends on Facebook than they have in real life.''

Dean Frances Kochan (left) and Dr. Ron Saunders (right) award Natasha Sanders one of the three Robert L. Saunders Endowed Scholarships presented for 2000-2010.

Dr. Ron Saunders `70, superintendent of Barrow County (Ga.) Schools and a member of the College of Education's National Advisory Council, knows that aspiring educators must be ready to engage an audience that can be prone to such distractions as sending surreptitious text messages from their pockets during class. Saunders, who spoke on behalf of scholarship donors at ceremony, said his family has remained steadfast in its support of the college because its graduates will shape the learning of future generations.

 "Helping young people join the teaching profession is a Cloud 9

Senior Ashley James (middle) is the first recipient of the Evelyn Moore Endowed Scholarship, presented by Dean Frances Kochan and Dr. Jane Moore.

experience,'' said Saunders, who presented the Robert L. Saunders Endowed Scholarship in memory of his father.

In addition to honoring the generosity of its donors and the achievements of its students, the college also celebrated a milestone for one scholarship and the opportunities that several existing scholarships will create in the future.

This year marked the 10-year anniversary of the Dr. Ralph Carroll and Willie Mae Boles Endowed Scholarship. Mrs. Boles established the scholarship in memory of her husband, who earned his bachelor's and master's degrees in education from Alabama Polytechnic Institute in 1937 and 1949, respectively. This year, four students received scholarships from the endowment.

Newly-endowed undergraduate scholarships include the Alabama Association of Conservation Districts Auxiliary Endowed Scholarship and the Evelyn Moore Endowed Scholarship. The Alabama Association of Conservation Districts Auxiliary Endowed Scholarship supports agriscience education students. The Evelyn Moore Endowed Scholarship was established by College of Education professor emeriti Dr. Jane B. Moore in memory of her mother. The scholarship provides support for women in need of financial assistance for the purpose of achieving their education goals.

Four graduate student awards were presented for the first time - the Arthur and Ruth Coss Endowed Graduate Award, the Kenny Howard Annual Graduate Assistantship, the Lila L. White Annual Graduate Assistantship and the Dr. Brett Stark, DPM, P.C. Annual Graduate Assistantship in Kinesiology.

The college's ability to grow scholarship opportunities, as well as future teachers, hasn't gone unnoticed by the parents of current students. Greg Duke, whose daughter, Emily, was a recipient of The Patrons of the Keystone-Dean's Circle Annual Scholarship, expressed appreciation tinged with humor in speaking on behalf of parents during the ceremony.

"The scholarship provides us with much-needed funds,'' Duke said. "We're a bit of an anachronism. We're a single-income family. I make the money - and they spend it.''

The timing and increased availability of these scholarship opportunities is especially fortunate for many since recent surveys have shown a sharp increase in the amount of university students nationwide seeking relief from tuition increases and other hardships stemming from the economic downturn.

The combination of a credit crunch and declining tax revenues has made scholarships more prized commodities for students as they try to adjust to higher tuition costs and increased living expenses. According to a report by the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators, student applications for federal student aid for the 2009-10 academic year increased by more than 20 percent over the previous year.

In a time of economic uncertainty, when stock prices have plummeted and investors have found themselves at the mercy of an unpredictable market, there remains one economic save haven.