Scholarship Program

2010-2011 Foundation Scholarship Winners

The IRTA Foundation is pleased to announce the 2010-2011 IRTA Foundation Scholarship winners and happy to provide them with financial assistance.  These individuals are promising students with strong academic records and a real desire to teach tomorrow’s youth.  This year, $1,500 will be awarded to each of our winners.  These 6 winners (listed below) were chosen through competition with other applicants from their own Area.

Sara McCue
The Area 1 winner is Sara McCue; she attends Ashford University in Clinton, IA.  She is pursuing a degree in Computer Science and Mathematics for Secondary Education and will also be receiving an endorsement as an Instructional Strategist I for work with Special Education.  Sara has been tutoring and helping others with their studies since she was in fifth grade.  She started as a reading tutor for first and second graders.  During the first two years of college, she was a tutor in Math, English, and Psychology for a program called Student Support Services.  Sara states, "I love what I have been doing and I know this is the right path for me."

Whitney Holsteen
The Area 2 winner is Whitney Holsteen; she will be attending Illinois State University in the fall to complete her Bachelor's Degree in Special Education as a learning and behavioral specialist.  Whitney's first experience spending time with individuals with special needs was in a high school adapted gym class.  She spent two semesters assisting in adapted P.E. which led her to a summer day camp job through Fox Valley Special Recreation Association working as a counselor with children who have disabilities.  Whitney writes, " Once I receive my degree, I would like to have my own classroom and be able to help students with special needs learn and prepare for life after school."

Kathryn Ehrnwald
The Area 3 winner is Kathryn Ehrnwald; she attends Indiana State University and is majoring in Health Education.  Katie has been active in the Student Government Association as well as in the Health Sciences student group, and is Vice President of Eta Sigma Gamma.  She has been recognized for academic excellence by being included on the Dean's Honor Roll for seven semesters and has received Departmental Honors for three semesters.  Katie's teaching philosophy is to encourage and inspire her students to continue asking questions and taking an active role in their education.  Katie states, "I feel if health is taught properly, the activities done in class will help students discover healthy choices which will be applied and implemented into their everyday life."

Brenna Williams
The Area 4 winner is Brenna Williams; she is attending Western Illinois University and is majoring in Special Education.  She has volunteered at the local GED classes and tutored a woman who wanted to learn English.  Brenna's husband has dyslexia and he inspired her to learn about special education.  After receiving her degree, Brenna plans to teach in a special education classroom in Rushville or one of the surrounding areas and would like to coach an academic team like Scholastic Bowl or Future Problem Solving.  Brenna writes, "I would really like to be there with the students to help them through the years that could easily prove to be the most difficult ones in their life."

Amber South
The Area 5 winner is Amber South; she will be attending Southern Illinois University Carbondale in the fall to complete her Bachelor's Degree in Music Education.  Her plan is to return later to receive a Master's Degree in Music Education or History and Literature.  Not only is Amber an excellent student, but she is also an accomplished musician.  She currently plays the piano for the Rend Lake College choir as well as her church.  Along with her musical talent, Amber is also a gifted photographer and artist.  Amber's dream is to teach at the high school she attended and work on getting the music program to grow from 30 to 150 students.  Amber states, "I want to give encouragement to kids who, like me, are in love with a dying art."

Aerial Woolverton
The Area 6 winner is Aerial Woolverton; she will be attending Murray State University this fall to finish earning her degree in Elementary and Special Education.  Not only does Aerial attend school full time and work five evenings a week, she also has volunteered her time to coach a primary basketball team and to coach on the travel basketball team that she played for. Aerial states, "I look forward to being able to teach lessons to my students, watching their faces light up when they understand a problem, and most importantly making a difference in their lives."

These 6 individuals will no doubt make wonderful educators; we wish all of our winners' success in their future classroom endeavors.  If you know anyone who would be interested in applying for our 2011-2012 IRTA Foundation scholarships, please contact Susan Goetz at 800.728.4782 or susan@irtaonline.org to get further information.

IRTA Scholarship Awarded

The Illinois Retired Teachers Association is pleased to announce Brenna Williams of Rushville as a 2010-11 IRTA Foundation Scholarship winner.  Six $1,500 scholarships are awarded through competition to promising college juniors and seniors with strong academic records and a desire to teach tomorrow’s youth.  Brenna is the recipient of the Area 4 award which includes 24 west-central Illinois counties.  Brenna received her award at the June 8 Schuyler-Brown IRTA meeting.  Pictured above are Miriam Lyman, IRTA Foundation Board member, Bob Pinkerton, IRTA Area 4 Representative, Brenna Williams, Cindy Ward, IRTA member and Williams’ grandmother, and Donna Sargent, IRTA Region 9 Director and Williams’ former principal.

Area 6 Scholarship Presentation
left to right: Dr. Marleis Trover, Johnson County President; Bill Funkhouser, Area 6 Representative; Aerial Woolverton, Scholarship Winner; and Faye Mize, Region 18 Membership Chair