3 minute read
The Gift of the Marcia A. Richter Undergraduate Scholarship
By Kaitlin Kahn ’21
This past year, I was blessed with the gift of the Marcia A. Richter Scholarship. I remember receiving the letter and the feeling I felt at that exact moment. The joy, relief, and gratitude that poured over me was immense. To be in the College of Education at Butler University is a blessing in and of itself. But then, to be honored a scholarship by a distinguished donor added a whole new layer of gratitude.
I am an Elementary Education Major with a Sports and Recreation Studies Minor. I chose Butler and the College of Education because of the family dynamic, incredible opportunities, and the feeling of home I felt. While worth every penny, Butler comes at a steep price. This scholarship helped me continue towards my goals, with less stress. I am someone who is very conscious of others, my environment, and the sacrifices others are making for me. Because of this, I often worry about the stability of my loved ones, financially. Because of the generosity of the College of Education and Marcia A. Richter, I was able to go about this semester with some weight taken off my shoulders. With less stress, I truly took an even deeper dive into my studies and educational work. I believe I took an even stronger approach to my education because I was representing more than just myself. I was representing my family, my professors, Marcia A. Richter, and all those in the College of Education. I know that I have made them all proud thus far and will continue forward with a strong sense of my work and what it represents.
As I enter the profession, one thing that crosses my mind is salary and paying back debt. Because of the generosity of this scholarship, I will be coming out of school with less debt than before. The impact and significance of this go beyond what meets the eye. Knowing that I will have to pay back less means that more money can be dedicated to bettering myself and my classroom. As a future educator, this is incredibly helpful and relieving to know that there is less burden as a first-year teacher.
Lastly, I have big dreams and hopes for what I want to accomplish in the future. The first dream I have is to become a general elementary school teacher. Within my classroom, I hope to inspire the next generation and equip them with the tools and support to make that happen. Secondly, I have a passion for wellness and fitness. Within my classroom, I want to educate the children on nutrition and exercise. I envision doing this through exercise as brain breaks and fruit/vegetable discovery during morning meetings. But, I also want to extend this to my colleagues. My goal is to create an after or before school workout program, led by myself or other local trainers, that give staff an outlet to care for themselves. Teachers struggle with stress and burning themselves out. I would love to provide some wellness tools that they can use to improve themselves as people and educators. When I boil it down, I just have a dream to impact people and help them reach their fullest potential.
Through the tools I have been given within the College of Education and from the outstanding support of people like Marcia A. Richter, I am confident these dreams can become reality. Words cannot express what this scholarship has meant to me and all that it has provided me. I look forward to positively representing the College of Education and those like Marcia A. Richter, in the future.
