Student Scholarships

The SCOLT Board was excited to award three student scholarships at the 2023 conference! Two scholarships were given to college students and one to a high school senior. All three are promising future language educators! See below for more information about this year’s recipients.

The Ken Stewart Future Language Educator Scholarship has been available for high school seniors since 2019. This is a $1000 scholarship awarded to a high school senior in the SCOLT region who wants to become a language teacher. The funds can be used as needed for tuition, books, or other college expenses. Five very deserving students have received the scholarship to date!

Vista Higher Learning is now also sponsoring scholarships for students! This opportunity includes a $1000 scholarship for a high school senior in each of the five regions, beginning in 2023. And to add to the good news, Vista Higher Learning is also sponsoring a $1000 scholarship for a current college student in the region who demonstrates passion, leadership, and promise as a future language teacher.

With the current teacher shortage and a critical need to encourage students to become educators, the SCOLT Board is extremely appreciative of the ability to provide these opportunities for high school and college students!

Applications and detailed information will be available in the Fall. Watch the SCOLT website, Facebook, and Twitter feeds for more information.

Ken Stewart Future Language Educator Scholarship Recipient

Eliza Hendrick, Tallwood High School, VA

Eliza plans to pursue a degree in Spanish Education and become an elementary Spanish teacher. Eliza is involved in the Virginia Teachers for Tomorrow program and her school’s Global Studies and World Languages Academy.

Vista Higher Learning Future Language Educator Scholarship Recipients

Renee Fluet, James Madison University, VA

Renee is a student at James Madison University, pursuing a degree in Modern Foreign Language (Spanish) and a minor in Linguistics. She showed an aptitude for teaching in high school while working with peers and younger students. Her passion for language and teaching is evident!

Cody Smith, University of Louisville, KY

Cody is a former recipient of the Ken Stewart Future Language Educator Scholarship. He is a student at the University of Louisville where he is pursuing a degree in Middle and Secondary French Education. He is also studying Arabic, Chinese, and Spanish. Cody has attended 2 SCOLT conferences and shows great enthusiasm for the profession!

Carolyn Hansen, SCOLT President 2001, presenting Frank W. Medley, Jr., with the 2001 SCOLT Founders Award

Carolyn Hansen, former SCOLT President, passed away February 9, 2023. Although Carolyn served as SCOLT President in 2001, she had long served both on the SCOLT Executive Board and as a member to enhance SCOLT activities and conferences. Not only did she make presentations at many conferences, but she also encouraged her University of South Carolina students and colleagues to participate. I found her help at conferences to be a key to operational success. She had honed her conference skills serving on and becoming the Executive Director of the South Carolina Foreign Language Teachers Association (SCFLTA) and encouraged her SCFLTA colleagues to present and attend SCOLT Conferences. Carolyn continued to make contributions after her time on the SCOLT Executive Board, and in 2008, she was awarded the Founders Award.

Submitted by Lynne McClendon, former SCOLT Executive Director

See Carolyn’s obituary here.