Christopher
Allen is a junior
at Chestnut Hill College, pursuing a BA in History
with a minor in Secondary Education. He has been
inducted into a variety of honor societies during
his time at Chestnut Hill, including Alpha Lambda
Delta (freshmen), History, Education and Delta
Epsilon Sigma (national Catholic College). He
has consistently made the Dean’s List and
maintains a current GPA of X.XX. Christopher is
extremely active on campus, as a Tutor in the
Writing Center, a Student Ambassador and a Resident
Assistant, as well as previously serving as an
Orientation Leader. Christopher has also participated
in the AmeriCorps Scholars in Service to Pennsylvania
program, completing 300 hours of community service
within one calendar year. Christopher’s
dream job is to someday teach American History
in a Catholic high school. He states in his essay
that he is inspired to be a teacher because of
the care and concern showed to him by his own
high school teachers, that he wishes to create
an environment in his future classroom where the
questioning and challenging of ideas in not only
welcomed, but is also encouraged, and that he
wants to be that teacher who makes a profound
difference in the lives of his students because
he genuinely cares for them.
Gustavo Garcia
will be graduating from the Tyler School of Art
at Temple University in May 2013 with a BFA in
Printmaking. He is also pursuing Teaching Certification
and has a minor in Art History. Gustavo aspires
to be an art teacher, and has already been involved
in teaching art and photography classes at a few
different schools. On campus at Temple, he is
a Student Ambassador, representing Tyler School
of Art to prospective students. Gustavo has also
been involved in numerous exhibitions, not only
showing his own artwork but also assisting with
the set-up as well as documenting the exhibits
via photography. This includes involvement in
exhibits in Italy during his sophomore year studying
abroad. Gustavo has also had the unique experience
of serving as a counselor at a summer institute
for student leaders, where he worked with migrant
high school students from all over the world,
including Egypt, Mexico, Nepal & Chile. This
is especially meaningful, as Gustavo himself immigrated
to the U.S. at the age of 12, without any knowledge
of English. In his application essay, Gustavo
shared the profound impact that a single reading
from one of his courses, Pedagogy of the Oppressed
by Paulo Freire, had on his conception of education.
Specifically, Freire talks about the teacher not
making decisions for the student and allowing
the student to have a voice in his or her education,
and this resonated with Gustavo. He aspires to
have reciprocal relationships between himself
and his students, and wants to share his rich
cultural background, experience and skills to
enrich the learning environments and inspire youth
while serving as an agent of social change through
both his art and his role as an educator.
Lindsay Martin
will be graduating with a BA in Early Childhood
Education from Eastern University in 2013, and
plans to become a Reading Specialist. Lindsay
has already participated in numerous field experiences
working with and observing young children. She
has been working for over a year as a part-time
Assistant Teacher at The Goddard School and has
also worked for numerous summers as a Program
Assistant/Counselor at the Black Rock Retreat
summer camp. Lindsay also spent a semester abroad
in Uganda, where she volunteered at a school for
the blind, assisting with English literacy skills
and music. On campus at Eastern, Lindsay is a
Board Member of the Leadership Fellows Program,
President of the campus chapter of Operation Net
(malaria prevention through mosquito net distribution
in Uganda and Haiti), as well as a member of the
Keswick Team and Violinist/Vocalist for the Worship
Team. In Lindsay’s essay, she spoke of her
time in Uganda, and of her strong belief that
the key to education is literacy. Upon arriving
to teach at the Salaama School for the Blind,
Lindsay discovered that the school had only one
book! Determined to find a way to get books to
the school, she discovered that the university
where she was living had a children’s library,
and so she began checking out large-print books
every week to bring with her when she taught.
Lindsay also shared the inspiring story of one
little boy named John who was completely blind
and had severe developmental disabilities causing
him to be nearly non-verbal. Lindsay used the
book Chicka Chicka Boom Boom to teach the alphabet
to the children, and after a few days of reading
this book, there “came a moment that made
the educator in [her] came alive” as John
opened his mouth and exclaimed “Chicka chicka
boom boom.” This was a powerful moment for
Lindsay where she realized for sure that books,
along with a lot of patience, are to be her “weapons
of choice as an educator.”
Sarah Sell attends
Rider University. She has a double major in Elementary
Education and Integrated Mathematics & Science,
with a minor in Middle School Education &
Math. Her honors include induction into the Omicron
Delta Kappa Leadership Honors Society, Kappa Delta
Pi International Education Honors Society, and
Alpha Lambda Delta First Year Academic Honors
Society, as well as recipient of the Rider University
Professional Development Award and the Girl Scouts
of America Silver and Gold Awards. Sarah has served
as a Peer Mentor for the university’s Freshman
Seminar, as well as their Leadership and Development
Program, and she is also the current President
of the Student Education Association. Sarah is
an active volunteer in the community. Her service
has included annual participation in Autism Walk,
Relay for Life, and Habitat for Humanity Group
Workcamps. In her essay, Sarah addresses the obligation
of teachers to “prepare our students for
their social responsibilities and molding them
into lifelong learners” and states that
her “goal and reason for becoming an educator
is to foster exploration, development, and achievement
through the care and safety of every individual
learner.” On a final note, in her recommendation
letter, the Dean of the School of Education at
Rider wrote, “I know that Hannah Amgott
passed away in 2005 following a battle with cancer.
Sarah’s work with Relay for Life honors
her legacy. Her values, beliefs, and ethical principles
are ones that embody the memory of this great
woman who coped so well with the challenges she
faced. Sarah’s spirit, as well as the work
she does, makes her an excellent candidate for
this award.”
Mary-Rebecca Truchan
is a junior at West Chester University, pursuing
a BS in Early Childhood Education. A Dean’s
List student, she is a member of the Pi Lambda
Theta Honors Society for Educators and has been
recognized by Who’s Who in American Colleges
and Universities. As a campus leader, Mary-Rebecca
is part of a select group of students chosen to
represent West Chester at presidential events
as a member of the Golden Rams Society. She recently
served as the university’s Student Representative
at the PSEA conference, and also volunteered at
our very own Teacher Job Fair in March. Since
2011, Mary-Rebecca has served as a Career Liaison
in the Career Center. She also founded/coordinated
the Flat Stanley pen pal project in partnership
with Thomas Jefferson Elementary School, where
she has previously worked as a Teacher’s
Assistant. In her essay, Mary-Rebecca states that
she knew way back as a preschooler that she would
someday become a teacher, and this aspiration
has only grown over the years. She states that
she wants to “see children’s eyes
light up as they realize they can do something
they’ve been working on“ and “to
see students discovering their strengths and using
them to excel in learning.” In support of
her scholarship application, our very own Phil
Tripp commented in his letter of recommendation
that “she exemplifies many of the qualities
Hannah Amgott held as qualities of an excellent
educator.”
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