1.3.12 
Southeastern Education Student Wins Prestigious Florida Teaching Scholarship

By Southeastern University

Southeastern University has a long tradition of training teachers who have gone on to influence the lives of children both in public and private education.

That tradition continued this semester, as Southeastern senior Kara Jones was selected as one of four winners of the Florida Association of Teacher Educators' Fanchon F. Funk Scholarships. The awards recognize outstanding future educators chosen from a pool of candidates across the state, and it is the sixth consecutive year a Southeastern student has received the award.

For Jones, who will graduate in May with a degree in Elementary Education, just being the university's nominee was an honor in itself.

"I definitely didn't expect it," she said. "I had heard of it, but I never thought I would be the nominee."

Jones was chosen as a scholarship recipient over students from much larger universities across the state. Her selection added to Southeastern's reputation for producing quality educators.

"It's an honor to see SEU competing against other state schools and succeeding," Jones said.

As part of her application, Jones was required to submit a cover letter and a statement on her philosophy of education. In her philosophy statement, she wrote, "Educators have the greatest role of all in training up the leaders of tomorrow."

It's a philosophy that is rooted in a deep concern for each student and finding the best ways that they learn as individuals.

"A lot of it has to do with the heart for the kids," she said. "I try to think about what benefits them, and then I also see it as a mission field."

Southeastern has helped Jones prepare for that mission field in numerous ways. She credited her experience in the course Faith Integration in Education, and she gained valuable classroom hours during field studies, including an English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) class. Jones also has served as president of Southeastern's Kappa Delta Pi International Honor Society in Education and as an office assistant for the College of Education.

Her only remaining off-site requirement is her internship, which she will complete this spring at Highland City Elementary in the fifth grade. Jones plans to begin her career as an elementary teacher after graduation, and she said that she would like to continue her own education in the future by earning a master's degree and possibly a doctorate.

In her cover letter that she submitted as part of her application, Jones once again credited Southeastern with helping prepare her for a career of service in education.

"Selecting Southeastern University as the institute to formalize my skill development has provided me with more opportunities than I had ever dreamed possible," Jones said.