2020 Ken Stewart Future Language Educator Scholarship Recipient
Virginia Jaction, Starr’s Mill High School
Fayetteville, GA
Teachers: Madeline Rodriguez and Laura Alldredge
Virginia plans to attend the University of Georgia (Athens) in the fall where she will pursue a degree in Spanish and Secondary Education. At UGA, she will be living in the language dorm to practice her language skills; she also plans to study abroad in Costa Rica while in college. In her own words, Virginia states that the effective “teacher does not make everything easy and knows that challenges help the students learn better. I do not want to just challenge my students; I want to challenge myself as well.”
Virginia has placed first in the state of Georgia for the last three years on the National Spanish Exam and is currently enrolled in AP Spanish Language & Culture. Her former Spanish teacher, Laura Alldredge, added “she inspired me to learn new words, to research grammar rules, and to question why we say things the way we do in Spanish. There were many times that Virginia knew a word that I didn’t, simply because of her inquisitiveness.”
This $1,000 scholarship is intended for a high school senior who plans on a career as a world language educator. The scholarship is sponsored by Ken Stewart, Spanish teacher, former SCOLT Board member and 2006 ACTFL National Language Teacher of the Year.
What are the requirements?
- Current high school transcript
- List of school and community activities
- Three letters of recommendation, each not to exceed one page (1 from a language teacher, 1 from a peer, and 1 from a teacher or administrator at your high school)
- One page statement of your future plans to become a language teacher (750 words maximum)
- College or university you plan to attend (copy of acceptance, if available). State briefly how your plans fit within the offerings, programs and opportunities of this college or university.
- Hyperlink to video (maximum 3 minutes) of the candidate’s response in their language of study/L2 to this question: What makes an A+ teacher? The video should focus entirely on the candidate while speaking.
Click below to complete the application form. Applications are due January 31, 2021.
Previous Recipients:
2019 William Roebuck (SC)
