Sabrina Blakley, St. Joseph’s University, Pursuing Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education (Pre-K-4) & Special Education (K-8), Class of 2018
Sabrina’s overall GPA is 3.96 and she has been on the Dean’s List every semester. Sabrina is the Vice President of Alpha Sigma Nu (Jesuit Honor Society), Re-Founding Member of the Order of Omega Greek Leadership Society, full member of Alpha Phi Fraternity, and serves as a Student Representative on the University’s Suicide Prevention Team. During her educational studies, Sabrina has had the chance to observe and assist in classrooms at a variety of schools, including Visitation B.V.M. School, Global Leadership Academy Charter School, The Gesu School, and most recently the Easter Seals Early Intervention Center and Philadelphia Performing Arts Charter School. Last fall, she completed an internship with Turning Points For Children, Social Service Agency, and she has also worked as a Nanny for the past two years. Sabrina’s recommenders referred to her as a an “outstanding student” with an impressive commitment to service, justice and personal integrity. In her essay, Sabrina stated that her original intention was only to become an elementary teacher. However, her recent experience observing an early intervention classroom has inspired her to be a special education teacher. Specifically, in her essay she shared the powerful story of a particularly touching experience with a boy in that class which brought our committee members to tears and gave us no doubt that she will make an excellent teacher.
Regina Kleiner,West Chester University, Pursuing Post-Baccalaureate Teacher Certification program in Chemistry Education, Class of 2018
Regina previously received her Bachelor of Science in Chemistry in 2009, also from West Chester, followed by a Master of Science in Chemistry in 2014 from the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque. Regina has had a successful career as a chemist, working locally for Environmental Standards Inc. for a year after her undergraduate studies, followed by positions in New Mexico with Terranear PMC and Sandia National Laboratories, with all of her positions involved in the field of environmental waste. In her essay, Regina stated that, in spite of her successful career, she felt that something was missing. While enrolled in graduate school, she made a profound discovery: through her work as a teaching assistant, she found her true calling at the blackboard. Regina realized that the solitary hours spent in the lab were not fulfilling, and that she wanted to share her excitement for chemistry with others. With this new goal, Regina then enrolled in the certification program at West Chester, while returning to a local Project Chemist position with Terranear PMC. She is currently a multi-year recipient of the American Chemical Society – Hach Second Career Teacher Scholarship, which is awarded to professionals in the chemistry field pursuing new careers as high school chemistry teachers. In addition to Chemistry certification, Regina also intends to pursue additional certifications in Physics, Biology and General Science and hopes to inspire students to enter the STEM fields and strive to learn more about the world around them. Her recommenders stated that she is a “standout” with a strong work ethic and creative and imaginative teaching style whose “chances of success in teaching and public education service are as close to 100% as can be!”
Amanda Kloth, Cairn University, Pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Secondary English Education with Minors in English, History and Bible, Plus TESOL Certification (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages), Class of 2018
Amanda has an impressive cumulative GPA of 3.99! She was also the Salutatorian of her high school class, ranked #2 out of 944 students. On campus at Cairn, Amanda is the President & Event Coordinator for the Alpha Chi Epsilon Teacher Education Club as well as a Writing Lab Mentor. In February of 2016, she had the opportunity to attend the SHARE Education Conference in Siófok (SHEE-o-foke), Hungary, which is geared toward American families working and living abroad. During the conference, Amanda served as a Teacher’s Assistant for 6th & 7th graders, focusing lessons on the conference’s theme of Inventions. In her essay, Amanda stated that her experience teaching in Hungary gave her concrete evidence of the rewards of a teaching career, and it motivated her to seek out additional overseas teaching opportunities. This summer, she will be traveling to China, teaching English to middle school and high school students. Amanda’s recommenders stated that she is conscientious and creative, organized and personable, and a “natural” teacher who would be an asset to any school setting.
Ian Roth,Eastern University, Pursuing Bachelor of Science in Middle Level Education, with concentrations in Social Studies and Mathematics and a minor in Music, Class of 2018
Ian’s cumulative GPA is 3.9722. Ian is a recipient of the Leadership Fellows Scholarship and has been inducted into Kappa Delta Pi, International Honor Society in Education. Ian is an active athlete, playing on Eastern’s Division III Baseball team, serving as a youth sports coach, and teaching baseball lessons and clinics at Grand Slam USA. He is a very involved campus leader, evidenced through his roles as a Resident Assistant and Teaching Assistant and his involvement in various committees, including the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and College of Education Dean’s Search Committee. In addition to his academics, athletics and leadership, Ian also takes weekly vocal lessons and is a member of the University Choir. In his essay, Ian shared a personal story about a specific moment in 2nd grade when he was encouraged and inspired by his teacher, how years later he then shared the story of that moment as a speaker at his high school graduation, and how that teacher had watched his speech online and then reached out to thank him for honoring her in such a way and state that his speech had “made her career” – yes, another tear-jerker for the scholarship committee! Ian’s recommenders highlighted his strong work ethic, outgoing personality, varied talents, keen perception, self-motivation, strong communication skills and knowledge of technology, and gave him enthusiastic endorsements for this scholarship.
Kara Travis, Ursinus College, Pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in English with PA Certification in English (Grades 7-12) with minors in French and Creative Writing, Class of 2018
Kara has a cumulative GPA of 3.9. For the past two years, Kara has been a Common Intellectual Experience Fellow at Ursinus, serving as a peer leader for first-year students enrolled in this required course. She holds the role of Secretary in the Phi Upsilon Chapter of Sigma Tau Delta, the international undergraduate English Honor Society, has held various roles with The Lantern (Ursinus’ literary magazine), including Bio Editor, Copy Editor, Reader and Writer, and is a member of the Ursinus Escape Velocity Dance Troupe. According to her essay, Kara’s interest in teaching began at the age of 12 when she volunteered to help out in dance classes on weekends at her local dance studio. She continued throughout high school, gaining more experience, was eventually offered a job as a dance instructor, and has now been teaching at the studio for 3 years. Kara sees a parallel between the rewards she gets from teaching dance and the rewards she anticipates she will have when eventually teaching English. She strives to “be a positive force in students’ lives by leading them toward collaboration rather than conflict.” Kara was described in her recommendations as a “person of character whose positive attitude energizes and inspires those around her,” someone who “comes across as humble, respectful, mature, and always kind” and is ultimately “the sort of individual our schools need as teachers.”