Fall 2024 Student-Teacher Scholarship Winners!
Hello, my name is Luke Bousley. I am from Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin and graduated from Southern Door High School. Growing up, I learned the value of being educated in a rural school. The opportunities Southern Door helped me guide me to becoming a Tech Ed teacher. After high school, I continued my education at UW Stout pursuing a B.S. in Technology Education. I am currently student teaching at Eleva Strum School District and appreciate the opportunity to teach students in a Rural School. I am grateful for this opportunity and look forward to teaching many students Technology Education in the months and years ahead.
Hi there! My name is Evan Larson and I grew up in the Village of Ashwaubenon just outside of Green Bay. I was a student in the Ashwaubenon School District all throughout my K-12 journey. After graduation, I was accepted into and am currently studying at St. Norbert College in De Pere where I am working towards my Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, along with a Bachelor’s degree in Secondary (4-12) Education! I love all things music, having performed in various musicals throughout high school, singing with my church since I was very young, and am now part of the St. Norbert College “Knights on Broadway” performing group. As of late, I’m in the process of completing my student teaching placement at Kewaunee High School, while learning a ton about this amazing profession along the way! Teaching in a rural school has such a cozy and welcoming vibe to it. I love the close knit and simply comfortable environment of this district in particular, and I appreciate the student-focused nature of it as well. I’m so excited to get out into the field after college, and I can’t wait to see what the future in this profession holds for me!
Hello everyone! My name is Chloe Moore. I grew up in the mid-sized town of Stevens Point. In 2021, I graduated from SPASH or Stevens Point Area Senior High. Following high school, I decided to pursue my dream of teaching at UW-Eau Claire. At UW-Eau Claire, I am currently working towards my bachelor’s degree in Elementary and Middle School Education. I am now privileged to be student teaching in the Edgar School District! I absolutely love it here, and I never knew how quickly I would fall in love with a rural school district. I have a large class, but I enjoy the atmosphere that they all provide and the co-teaching style in Edgar. This rural school has given me a home-away-from-home, where everyone here is welcome and connected to one another. Post graduation, I will be staying in the Central Wisconsin area, and I cannot wait to see where that takes me!
Fall 2024 Student-Teacher Scholarship Winners!
Hello, my name is Hannah Pitzen. I grew up on my family’s dairy farm in Cuba City. I graduated from Cuba City High School in 2021. I am a student at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls where I am pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Education. I am currently student teaching at Potosi High School. After growing up in a rural area, student teaching in a rural school is bringing me so much joy! The environment is unlike any other, and I feel so much support from staff members, students, and the entire community. I am so moved by the pride that the community has in its school. Upon graduation, I will be pursuing a job in a rural school to continue to give back to communities like the ones that have supported me for my entire life!
Spring 2024 Student-Teacher Scholarship Winners!
Hi there! My name is Monique Westaby and I graduated in 2006 from Lake Holcombe Public School. I have an amazing 8-year-old boy, love taking pictures, and have too many pets and chickens to count. After graduation, I went on to UW-Eau Claire to earn a Bachelor's Degree in English Literature. I was then hired at a local newspaper where I spent many nights at school board meetings followed by many days in our local schools taking photos and writing articles advocating for the amazing opportunities rural schools offer our youth. After resigning from the newspaper, I chose to pursue my Masters in Elementary Education, and am now completing my student teaching at my alma mater - Lake Holcombe. I cannot advocate enough for the positive impact a rural school has on its community and the future of their students. I am so proud and honored to help instill the same values I learned at this school nearly two decades ago, into future generations coming through these doors. It doesn't matter where you come from, you are capable of anything, and rural schools prepare you for just that. Our school motto says it all: "We are a small school that makes a big difference."
Hello, my name is Katelyn Schmitz. I grew up on a family dairy farm outside of Cashton. I was a student at the Cashton School District until I graduated in 2020. After graduating High School, I attended Western Technical College to get my associate's degree in Early Childhood Education. Then, I transferred to Viterbo University to complete my Elementary Education degree with an Early Childhood Education minor. I find that a rural school setting offers a more relaxed and comfortable feeling. I admire how closely knit the people in the community are with one another, and I want the opportunity to have close interactions with each student I teach and their families. My student teaching semester is flying by because I am having fun and learning a lot at Bangor Elementary! I will be looking forward to finding a job in a rural school in the upcoming months.