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Education at Iowa
Education at Iowa

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Community Educator Scholarships Help Diversify Iowa's Work Force

Heather Webster enjoys teaching students how to read.
Heather Webster enjoys teaching students how to read.

Heather Webster (MA ’06) couldn’t have completed her Developmental Reading master’s degree without assistance from a scholarship program she calls a “blessing.”

Webster was among the first to receive the Community Educator Scholarship, an award funded by the Graduate College that provides tuition support for underrepresented students pursuing their master’s degree in the College of Education. Recipients must also be active teachers or educators.

The award benefited its first students in spring 2004 and funds four students at a time for between 9 and 18 credit hours per fiscal year for up to three years.

Webster, who is now a Reading Recovery and Title I teacher in Little Rock, said the Community Educator Scholarship made pursuing her degree financially possible and cemented her decision to attend The University of Iowa.

Rachel Collins provides advice and counsel to Kennedy HS student Anthony Cooper.
Rachel Collins provides advice and counsel to Kennedy HS student Anthony Cooper.

“This scholarship provides worthy and willing educators with the tools to enhance and define their pedagogical practices in the classroom,” she said.

Rachel Collins (BA ‘00/MA ‘07) earned her degree in School Counseling while working full time and raising her son. The Community Educator Scholarship allowed her to take fewer classes than required to qualify for traditional financial aid and student loans.

Today she is a school counselor at Kennedy High School in Cedar Rapids and said she appreciates the opportunities the scholarship opened for her.

Probation Officer Sam Black teaches anti-gang curriculum at middle and elementary schools in Cedar Rapids. Probation Officer Sam Black teaches anti-gang curriculum at middle and elementary schools in Cedar Rapids.

“This important scholarship shows that The University of Iowa is committed to helping the state of Iowa diversify its highly qualified work force,” she said.

Sam Black, who will graduate with a master’s degree in Social Foundations this spring, is one of the newest Community Educator Scholarship beneficiaries. Black served as a probation officer for 17 years, then became cross trained as a police officer where he provided a wide range of services as a community resource, such as teaching and reinforcing playground drills and presenting curriculum on anti-gang violence in the local schools.

“I’m not an educator in the traditional sense,” he said. “By the same token, demand for my services in schools far exceeded my availability. The Community Educator Scholarship has provided the tools for me to fill the niche I’ve found in education more effectively.”

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