Every school year, West Virginia has a hard time filling every classroom with a qualified teacher. Too many classes end up being taught by a teacher not certified in that discipline.
One of the issues is pay, since college graduates can make more in other professions. Another is that fewer people are choosing to be schoolteachers.
But West Virginia has a new program that will help. Last year, the Legislature included in the comprehensive education reform bill a retooling of the Underwood-Smith Scholarship and Loan Repayment program.
The new Underwood-Smith Teaching Scholars Program awards $10,000 per year scholarships (maximum $40,000) to 25 students annually who meet certain academic benchmarks.
Those students must commit to teaching at least five years in West Virginia in the fields with the most severe shortages — math, science, special education, and elementary education. Students who fail to meet that obligation must pay back the money.
Last week, the state’s Higher Education Policy Commission announced the names of the first 25 scholars who will begin college this fall. They were selected from more than 300 applicants. The applicants do not have to be from West Virginia and one of this year’s winners is from Ohio.
Here is what a few of them said about the scholarship and their career choices:
Isabella Vint of Boone County said that one of her teachers, “inspired me to become a teacher and to come back to my community to make it a better place.”
Olivia Burns, Putnam County, said, “When a teacher is passionate about what they are teaching that has a huge impact on their students.”
Emily McElwain of Greenbrier County said, ”I will never forget the actions they (teachers) took to get me to where I am now and I want to be able to do that for some in the future.”
Megan Noss of Preston County said, “I cannot wait to be a teacher so I can make an impact in each child’s life and have a personal connection with them.”
Kensley White of Boone County, “I want to bring the opportunity that I received back to the kids in my community.”
Sophia Miller of Wood County said, “I want to leave a positive impact on my future students the way my teachers have left one on me.”
It is worth noting that these scholarships are “stackable,” meaning the student can also receive other financial aid, such as the Promise Scholarship or Pell Grants, so these students may be able to graduate debt-free.
This is a powerful program that will not only change the lives of promising young West Virginians and keep them in the state, but also benefit the state for years to come by putting passionate professionals into these hard-to-fill positions.
(For high school seniors who want to become a teacher in West Virginia, applications opened July 15, for the 2021 cohort. Visit underwoodsmith.org for more information.)
Winners from our area:
Megan Noss from Preston High School is attending West Virginia Wesleyan College to pursue a degree in elementary education.
Mallori Straub from Morgantown High School is attending West Virginia University to pursue a degree in elementary education.
Kailee Beckman from North Marion High School is attending Fairmont State University to pursue a degree in special education.
Hoppy Kercheval is a MetroNews anchor and the longtime host of “Talkline.” Contact him at hoppy.kercheval@wvradio.com.
