2021 Ken Stewart Future Language Educator Scholarship Recipient
Cody Smith, Barren County High School, Glasgow, KY
Teacher: Sharon Mattingly
Cody plans to attend Western Kentucky University (Bowling Green) in the fall where he will pursue a degree in Spanish and Chinese, with a minor in linguistics. In his own words, Cody states “my plan is to become a foreign language teacher, but my goals and responsibilities will not end when the bell rings…I will continue investing in my passion and dedication to share this miraculous thing we call language.” Similarly, Cody’s zeal for language learning does not stop when the bell rings. Outside of school, he is learning Japanese; he has already taken AP Latin and AP French in high school. He is currently preparing for two more AP Spanish exams (language and literature) before he graduates in the spring.
Cody is not only well-known on campus as a polyglot, but also as a mentor and tutor. In 2020, he earned a TESOL certification to tutor students of English as a second language. He was also the recipient of a Virtual National Security Language Initiative for Youth (Virtual NSLI-Y) scholarship for Arabic, a program sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, which he completed during the pandemic. When his online Latin program was phased out with Kentucky Education Television (KET), Cody continued to study on his own before becoming a tutor of Latin. Now a fan of Cicero, Virgil and Tacitus, “you can look at any culture and their literature will say a lot about them,” says Cody. “It just opens up your mind to lots of things that you may not see or understand by reading translations.”
Behind all future teachers are the outstanding teachers who help us achieve our goals and dreams. Such is the case with Cody Smith. A 36-year veteran language teacher, his Spanish teacher Sharon Mattingly added: I have never had another student who matches Cody when it comes to native ability, intense interest and enthusiasm.”
2021 Ken Stewart Future Language Educator Scholarship Recipient
Miriam Smith, Hendersonville High School, Hendersonville, NC
Teacher: Adam Brand
Miriam plans to attend UNC-Chapel Hill in the fall where she will enroll in the honor’s program and pursue a pre-masters in linguistics with a concentration in Spanish. In her own words, Miriam states “Languages are the key to new places, people, perspectives. I want to share language with others; I want to share the ability to connect with and discover new people. That’s why I want to be a language teacher.” Outside of the language classroom, Miriam is the student body president and captain of the women’s soccer team at HHS.
Miriam’s accolades in the classroom speak for themselves; however, her Spanish teacher offered insight on why she is a rising star as a future language teacher. “She is inspiring but approachable. She is a dreamer but connected. She is fierce but compassionate. She is going to do great things,” wrote Adam Brand, Spanish teacher at Henderson High School. Her friend and classmate, Gracie Milner added Miriam is “…the person you can count on to stand up for you in situations of discrimination. She will not tolerate inequality. She treats each person she encounters with the same respect.” —indeed the human qualities that make an outstanding teacher.
In her free time, Miriam enjoys volunteering at True Ridge in Hendersonville, serving the local Hispanic community by accompanying clients to court, preparing PPE to distribute, organizing resources, and translating statements.
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. Typically one scholarship is awarded each year. In 2021, two recipients were chosen as they were both outstanding applicants.
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.
Previous Recipients:
2020 Virginia Jackson (GA)
2019 William Roebuck (SC)