Lily Campbell, Emma Cremann and Jada Sanders were recently selected to join the fifth cohort of Underwood-Smith Teaching Scholars and will begin their studies this fall on the Morgantown Campus.
Each will receive $10,000 each year for four years to help fund their education as they pursue careers as West Virginia teachers.
“I’m incredibly proud of these young scholars, and I can’t wait to see what they accomplish over the next four years and beyond,” said Sarah Armstrong Tucker, West Virginia’s higher education chancellor. “We worked with the Legislature and Gov. Jim Justice to create a preeminent scholarship that would produce new generations of strong, committed teachers for years to come in the Mountain State. With a remarkable five cohorts of scholars now pursuing their teaching careers right here at home, we are well on our way to reaching that goal.”
The Underwood-Smith Teaching Scholars Program is designed to help West Virginia address ongoing teacher shortages in the fields of math, science, special education and elementary education. Recipients commit to teaching in one of these high-demand fields in West Virginia for at least five years after graduation. To give students the greatest chance at success, each is paired with a practicing classroom teacher mentor, who provides guidance throughout their college careers.
Scholar highlights will be featured throughout the month of August on the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission’s Facebook page.
Campbell graduated from Martinsburg Senior High School, Cremann from Moorefield High School and Sanders from Keyser High School.
All three will study elementary education at WVU.