Student Scholarships

Hometown: Industry, Pennsylvania

High School: Western Beaver High School

Major: Early Childhood and Special Education

Why I chose this field: Isabella says that she chose to go into this field because growing up, I used to always babysit for many people. I loved it, and I was naturally good at it. I never thought of it as a career for me even though it fits my personality perfectly. I thought I wanted to be a pilot so I could travel, but I want to be family oriented and stay close to home, I feel that I can read children and know what they need very easily, and they gravitate towards me for help. Once I turned 18 years old, I started working at a daycare and found that I really do love working with children. You create bonds with the children and you learn each of their personalities and dislikes. It is very fascinating how children think very differently than us because they are still developing, it’s so much more than just teaching simple math or English. It is about helping them to become good human beings.  I love to feel that I am their safe space and can help with anything. 

Hometown: Harrison City, Pennsylvania

High School: Penn-Trafford High School

Major: Early Childhood and Special Education

Why I chose this field: My decision to become a teacher is due, in part, to my desire to make a positive impact on all the children that I teach. Ever since I was young I admired my teachers, especially in elementary school. They were often a figure in my life that I was able to trust and look up to. It was this early in my life when I knew that I wanted to be that for other kids. I have multiple experiences working with kids. One experience that had a large impact on me was teaching preschool at my high school's preschool program. During this time, I began to realize that not only was I having a large impact on the preschoolers but they were impacting me just as much. As I taught those preschoolers their ABCs, they taught me that becoming an educator is my calling. Seeing their little faces look up to me and want to learn from me was the most rewarding thing I have ever experienced. I want my students to find who they are while learning with me and within my classroom, which I hope will become a community where everyone feels included. I want to be the one to inspire them to strive for the best version of themselves and help them create a brighter future for themselves and each other. Eventually, I hope to specialize in speech and become a children's Speech Language Pathologist!

Hometown: Wellsburg, West Virginia

High School: Brooke High School

Major: Early Childhood and Special Education

Why I chose this field: I chose this field after I had the pleasure of assisting with the South Pointe Grizzlies special needs ice hockey team. Coaching these children developed my interest in wanting to become a teacher. I had the privilege of playing goalie during their practices. Interacting with the players allowed me to grow as a person. I loved getting to be a coach, friend, and role model to these children. They never saw hockey as a competition, rather they saw it as an activity to play, make friends, and grow their love for their interests. When I get discouraged at my hockey games, or life in general, I think back to the Grizzlies. The Grizzlies taught me things coaches, teachers, and parents could never. So just like the Grizzlies taught me, I want to be able to teach students with disabilities and learn from them as well.

Hometown: Grove City, Pennsylvania

High School: Grove City High School

Major: Early Childhood and Special Education

Why I chose this field:  Ella sees herself teaching life skills after college! Ella had the opportunity to teach ESY for students with special needs for the past couple of summers and truly found a passion in studying education and becoming an educator for these students. Ella is involved with the RMU Trees Network, RMU Best Club, and the RMU Rockwell Fellowship! She loves to create crafts, workout and spend time with family and friends. 

Hometown: Knox, Pennsylvania

High School: Keystone High School

Major: Early Childhood and Special Education

Why I chose this field: I chose this field because growing up, I babysat all the time and loved being able to work with kids any chance I got, even though I never thought of it as a future career. I always thought I wanted to go to culinary school because one of my passions was baking and I wanted to continue doing so as I got older. But that changed my sophomore year in high school as I had the pleasure to assist an amazing teacher in the special education life skills classroom at my school. While being there I formed a strong relationship with the teacher of the class admiring her strong drive to advocate and help her students succeed. As I taught her students how to make different recipes, they taught me that being an educator is what I am meant to do. I was able to find so much joy in successfully helping them accomplish this new life skill being so proud of themselves, that after doing so the first time I knew I wanted to continue doing so for a long time to come. So as I start my road to being an educator I hope to one day be just like Mrs. G and her students advocating, teaching, and learning from my own classroom of students with disabilities.

Hometown: Perkasie, Pa 

High School: Pennridge High School 

Major: Early Childhood and Special Education 

Why I chose this field: I chose to become an early childhood and special education teacher because of the strong influence of my mom, who is also a teacher. Growing up, I saw firsthand the passion, patience, and dedication she brought to her students every day, and it inspired me to follow a similar path. Watching the difference she made in children’s lives showed me the impact a teacher can have, and it motivated me to pursue a career where I could support young learners and students with diverse needs. Her example instilled in me a love for teaching and a commitment to making education meaningful and inclusive for all children. I’ve always loved working with children and find joy in helping them discover their strengths. My passion for special education comes from wanting every child, no matter their abilities or challenges, to feel valued and supported. By following in my mom’s footsteps, I hope to make the same kind of positive impact on students’ lives that she has made throughout her career. I am also a Paraprofessional for Kelly Services, and those experiences have given me great insight into the teacher I want to someday become. I am part of the Trees Network and the Division One women's soccer team at Robert Morris.