‘An incredible blessing’: Student teachers honored with Hattie M. Strong Foundation scholarships

Student teaching is a wonderful opportunity for future educators. The semester-long classroom experience gives budding teachers the real-world exposure they need to soon be leaders in their own classrooms and communities.

“But it only pays in experience,” said Madison Weed.

Throughout the spring semester, Weed, a senior secondary social studies education major at Radford University, worked as a student teacher at nearby Pulaski County High School, instructing students in an 11th-grade history course.

“It was incredibly rewarding,” she said. 

Student teachers are engaged full time in the classrooms at their assigned schools. The student-teaching semester brings additional expenses, including travel to and from the school, which can be up to an hour’s drive away. Many dedicated student teachers purchase materials for creative lessons or to supplement classroom supplies.

But Weed received some help along the way. She was one of seven education majors in Radford’s College of Education and Human Development (CEHD) teacher preparation program who were each awarded $5,000 in scholarship support from the Hattie M. Strong Foundation.

“The Hattie M. Strong Foundation scholarship was a great relief because it covered my tuition for the semester,” Weed explained, “therefore providing me with the opportunity to discover myself as a teacher without having to worry about my financial situation.”

The Hattie M. Strong Foundation made its first gift to Radford in 2012 and, since then, has generously provided $385,000 in scholarship support. That support helps alleviate the financial burdens students face during their student-teaching semester, when they are working full time in the classroom and are unable to offset expenses with outside employment.

Recipients of the Hattie M. Strong scholarship must have a 3.0 GPA or better for the two semesters prior to student teaching; exhibit outstanding success and enthusiasm in previous field experiences; show strong leadership skills; and demonstrate financial need. Recipients must intend to pursue a career in teaching. Preference is provided to applicants with a demonstrated record of helping others help themselves.

Radford University is one of 24 institutions whose teacher candidates are supported through this program.

This year’s Radford University recipients are:

• Kelly Bible (elementary education)
• Abigail Brown (middle grades mathematics)
• Kole Butler (music education)
• Jessica Jones (elementary education)
• Mary Mattlyn King (special education)
• Athena Manoff (art education)
• Madison Weed (secondary social studies education)

“The scholarships provided by the Hattie M. Strong Foundation to Radford University student teachers are intended to reduce financial pressure during the student teaching semester,” said Debora Bays Wilbon, the associate dean and director of field experience for CEHD. “Student teaching is a full-time, rigorous experience that leaves little time to offset expenses with outside employment. Our Strong scholars are able to better allocate their time and energy to fully focus on gaining the most benefit from their student teaching.” 

For Athena Manoff, the Strong scholarship meant less worry about finances. “I am in a position where I have to help support my family,” the Lovettsville, Virginia, resident said. “So, while I still had a job, I had extra funds to keep us afloat.”

The scholarship was “an incredible blessing,” Mary Mattlyn King said, in her journey to become an educator.

“This generous support has allowed me to fully dedicate myself to my students and academic growth,” she said, “without the added pressure of balancing a job to fund my college education.”

The scholarship has allowed the Salem, Virginia, native to “focus wholeheartedly on lesson planning, building meaningful relationships with students and refining my teaching skills during student teaching,” she explained. “It has not only lightened a financial burden but has also reminded me of the power of generosity and the importance of investing in future educators.”

After graduating from Radford on May 10, King will start a position with Giles County Public Schools as a community-based instruction teacher at Narrows High School. 

Kole Butler said the scholarship allowed him to focus on his role as a student teacher this spring, which in turn made him a more confident educator as he soon moves into his new position of high school choir director in Fairfax County Public Schools.

"The Hattie M. Strong Scholars Award was a tremendous blessing during my final semester,” Butler said. “It allowed me to focus fully on my students and my growth as an educator without the added stress of financial pressure. Because of this support, I was able to invest more time into planning meaningful lessons, building relationships and reflecting on my teaching practice. 

“This scholarship not only supported my present,” he continued, “it helped shape my future."