Allyson Meakim, Ursinus College – pursuing BA in Psychology and Educational Studies (2023)
Allyson is on the Dean’s List, has a 3.9 GPA and was awarded the William A. Norcross ’70 M.D. Scholarship for Internships in Mental Health Advocacy, Addiction and Recovery, and Suicide Prevention. Ally is a committed student athlete, serving as captain of the Ursinus softball team. She is actively involved in the campus Student-Athletic Advisory Committee and participated in the Ursinus Emerging Leaders Academy. Ally is a passionate mental health advocate, having volunteered via the Andre L. Hicks Jr. Foundation supporting children at an overnight camp; serving as Campus Captain and Treasurer for The Hidden Opponent at Ursinus, which is a chapter of a national organization advocating for the mental health of student athletes; and founding the Downingtown East Mentor Program, where she created a startup for mental health initiatives at Downingtown East High School. Ally works at Ursinus as a Campus Safety Dispatcher while she also holds two off-campus jobs: one at a garden center and another at a bowling and entertainment center.
Ally’s application essay touched on the very heavy topic of suicide, specifically sharing a personal experience from high school about the loss of a friend and fellow athlete. Ally was able to process this tragic situation in a way that helped her to identify her passion to be an educator and her commitment to provide students with the support that they need.
In her recommendation letters, Ally was commended for her relationship-building skills, her campus leadership and her sense of purpose. Adjectives that they used to describe her include curious, proactive, mature, organized, committed, responsible, and delightful. To quote one of her recommenders, “Ally is the embodiment of a future educational professional whether it be as a teacher or a counselor.”
Haley Mosseri, University of the Arts – pursuing MAT in Visual Arts (2023)
Haley previously completed her undergraduate studies in 2020 at The College of New Jersey, earning a BFA in Fine Arts. Haley graduated from TCNJ with a GPA of 3.7 and her current GPA at UArts is a 4.0. Her relevant experience includes her current position as the Assistant to the UArts Art Education Program Director, as well as previous roles as a Kindergarten Assistant Teacher at Cedar Hill Prep School, Art Teacher at Artist People and Substitute Teacher in East Brunswick School District. In addition Haley is an actively exhibiting artist and has worked in the art world as a Photographer/Videographer/Curatorial Coordinator for Alfa Art Gallery and a Photographer/Sales Representative for JCPenney Portrait studios.
Her recommendations stated that Haley has a thoughtful and unique perspective to her work and praised her for her recent semester-long research project entitled “How Art Can Teach You What You Wish You Learned in K-12 Schools: The Musical.” Haley truly wowed the scholarship committee with her essay, which was definitely the most creative we have ever received, as it was written in poetic form. I don’t have time to read the entire poem, but her final lines were “What you said or did, they may not remember; But how you made them feel, they’ll remember forever; Art ed is my passion, my love through and through; ‘Cause we always go back to what we’re meant to do.”
Elizabeth Parker, Eastern University – MEd in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) (2023)
Elizabeth previously graduated cum laude from Eastern University in 2019 with a Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education, Middle Level Education and Spanish. Her current GPA is a 4.0. Lizzy’s engagement in the campus community has included membership in the Kappa Delta Pi education honors society, serving on the Education Department’s Student Advisory Council, serving as President of both the Political Activism Club and Refuge (the Queer-Straight Alliance) and as an Officer of Students Advocating Gender Equality (SAGE). During her undergraduate studies at Eastern, she was also a Peer Tutor in Math, Physics, Theology and History and a Teaching Assistant in the Spanish department. Lizzy completed student teaching experiences at the Mazapan School in La Ceiba, Honduras as well as the Eisenhower Science and Technology Leadership Academy in Norristown, PA, and since July 2020 she has been working as a 7th Grade World History Teacher at Colegio Interamericano in Guatemala City, Guatemala.
Lizzy launched her teaching career during the height of the pandemic, and in her essay she shared how she found herself to be an unexpected asset to her school and fellow teachers in the transition to virtual learning. She also highlighted her proudest accomplishment, which was the complete redesign from scratch of her world history curriculum to make it less Eurocentric and more comprehensive and inclusive. Lizzy’s recommenders praised her as an outstanding classroom practitioner and a true joy to work with, stating that “she has the ability to inspire students, co-workers, and parents with her informed expertise, enthusiasm, and dedication.”