At the May meeting, the Caroline County Board of Education awarded Aspiring Teacher Scholarships to four Caroline students:
Kaila Jenkins – Colonel Richardson High School; Elementary Education at Chesapeake College
Layla Beebe-Cunningham – North Caroline High School (NCHS); Elementary Education at Chesapeake College, Salisbury cohort
Brooklynn Spencer – North Caroline High School (NCHS); Elementary Education at Chesapeake College, Salisbury cohort
Logan Moody – North Caroline High School (NCHS); Elementary Education at Stevenson University
Chief Academic Officer Nicole VonDenBosch explained that the scholarship reflected the board’s belief that our classrooms are already filled with our future eductors. She stated that the committee found this year’s selection process especially challenging, as the talent, service, leadership, and passion displayed by the students made the decision extremely difficult.
The annual award to each student is a $5,000 renewable four-year scholarship. Continued eligibility is based on continuing with an education major, accepting an employment offer if made by CCPS, and teaching for a minimum of two years.
Superintendent Derek L. Simmons congratulated students and said he looked forward to welcoming them back to Caroline County Public Schools as employees.
In 2015, the Board established the Aspiring Teachers Scholarship to assist CCPS graduates in obtaining a four-year degree in the field of teacher education, along with eligibility for a teaching certificate in Maryland at the conclusion of that degree. Along with ‘growing our own’ teachers, the Board’s intent was to encourage diversity in the teaching staff and address needs in declared critical shortage areas.