Elizabeth Skade Middleton and John Middleton Trustee Scholarship in Education
John Middleton and Elizabeth Skade Middleton
Elizabeth “Betty” Skade Middleton ’63 EK ED and her husband John Middleton have given $50,000 to establish the Elizabeth Skade Middleton and John Middleton Trustee Scholarship in Education. The endowment supports undergraduate students who have demonstrated need for funds to meet necessary college expenses.
The Middletons were able to take advantage of the Trustee Matching Scholarship Program, which was established to encourage the creation of endowments to provide essential support for need-based scholarships. In consideration of the Middletons’ willingness to support this initiative, the University will match 10 percent of the initial principal in perpetuity, which will further extend the impact of the Middletons’ gift. The Trustee Matching Scholarship Program was implemented as part of the For The Future campaign and will no longer be available after June 30, 2014. The Middletons are passionate about supporting future teachers and ensuring that they have opportunities to grow and succeed at Penn State. They understand the immense financial burden that pursuing these opportunities can place on undergraduates, and they hope to relieve some of that stress with this scholarship.
“We want the best and the brightest students to become teachers because they will educate the next generation,” said Betty. “We hope that with this scholarship, these students can go abroad, student teach, and explore the endless preparatory opportunities that Penn State provides. We look forward to helping them succeed.” Betty grew up in New Jersey. After graduation, she taught elementary school in New Jersey, Michigan, Nebraska, and California. Betty left fulltime teaching to raise their three sons, but she continued to substitute teach in California. Betty most recently served as a member of Penn State’s Alumni Council from 2003 to 2009. John is a 1963 graduate of the United States Naval Academy and earned his Master’s degree in Engineering at Stanford University. John and Betty reside in Newport Beach, California. They have five grandchildren. Their oldest granddaughter wants to become a teacher.
Dr. Virginia J. Crider Teaching Award Dr. Virginia J. Crider ’62 M.Ed. ED has pledged $20,000 to establish the Dr. Virginia J. Crider Teaching Award. The endowment supports outstanding students that have demonstrated professional promise as teachers during their student teaching experiences. Virginia has elected to early activate her endowment. To early activate a bequest, the donor agrees to provide annual support to be used for the purpose of the endowment. By choosing this option, Virginia will enjoy the impact of her philanthropy during her lifetime, receiving letters from her award recipients and interacting with the students at College events. “Having worked with 509 studentteachers during my career,” said Virginia, “I’ve found that students who are transitioning to become full-time
According to Virginia, the professors and fellow students that she met during her studies inspired her to become a better educator. Virginia considers her time at Penn State to be a highlight of her educational growth as a teacher.
teachers need additional money.” Virginia saw that students struggled to pay for necessities like professional wardrobes and portfolios, materials for classroom activities, and registration fees for professional development sessions. Virginia is excited to be able to ease the financial burden of this transition for deserving students.
Virginia is retired from a thirty-one-year career as a professor. Before becoming a professor, Virginia was a home economics teacher for eleven years in the public schools of Pennsylvania and Ohio. She has been taking water-color painting classes for two years and is “loving every minute of developing a new talent that I didn’t realize had been hidden all these years.”
Dr. Virginia J. Crider
She hopes that her gift will allow young teachers to focus on “experiencing the daily fun, enjoyment, and satisfaction of seeing their students achieve.” Virginia earned her M.Ed. degree over the course of five summers and one fall semester at Penn State.