Advancement

My Butler Story | Matthew Aspinwall ’23

College of Education Major: Elementary Education Hometown: Atlanta, GA

Hailing from Atlanta, Georgia, Matthew Aspinwall knew that he wanted to explore colleges far from home. And, outside of geographic location, it was most important that the college he chose offered the major he wanted, Elementary Education, and that he would have opportunities to be in the classroom early on.

“In order to be a teacher, you should learn by actually teaching,” he says. “Compared to the other schools I was looking at, Butler offered the most classroom experiences.”

When he learned that College of Education (COE) students would be in the classroom starting with their first year, he was sold. The cherry on top was when he learned that he would have a full year of student teaching—as opposed to just one semester—during his senior year. “That didn’t happen at any of the other schools I was looking at.”

Not only did Butler offer him the experiential opportunities he was looking for, but he also found that Butler’s faculty truly care for their students—another quality that helped set Butler apart.

Scholarship Stories | Making an Impact

School Counseling Scholarship Impact Jamie Rogers ’23

I am so thankful to have received a School Counseling scholarship this past year. I’ve known School Counseling was always the path for me ever since I worked with young students in high school on a service-learning project. I loved working with children and families and assisting them in getting the necessary things to be self-sufficient. I worked in several human services roles, all with children and families but not School Counseling. I currently work in my district’s Student Services Department. I have watched school counselors work in various positions, all while envisioning myself in that role. The fear of starting all over again kept me in that position. After committing to myself and my strong desire to be a School Counselor, I finally applied to the College of Education to pursue a career in School Counseling. After graduation, I plan on working with students and families in urban education settings. Thanks to you, I am one step closer to that goal.

Being awarded the Dr. Daisy (Marvel) Jones and Eva Young Wiles scholarships have lightened my financial burden in many ways, which allows me to focus more on the most important aspect of school: learning. Instead of figuring out how to manage working extra hours to cover the cost of graduate school to my expenses, the scholarship has helped fill in the gap of additional income I needed. One of the most significant stressors for me before enrolling in the program was paying the extra expense. I knew I wouldn’t qualify for need-based financial assistance scholarships because I currently work full-time hours every week. Receiving the scholarship helped fill the gap to receive financial assistance I might not have otherwise received because of financial eligibility. While I still had to borrow money to pay for graduate school, the scholarship ultimately has helped me decrease the amount of student loans I needed to complete my first year in the School Counseling program.

Butler had several scholarships, and I applied with hopes of getting extra help to offset school expenses. Your generosity has eased my anxiety about how I would afford school and manage my debt. It has also inspired me to continue my volunteer work with Girl Scouts of Central Indiana, where I work with young girls in my community, building girls of courage, confidence, and character who make the world a better place. I hope one day I will help students in the school setting achieve their goals just as you are helping me achieve mine.

EPPSP Scholarship Impact Andrew Smeathers ’13 MS ’17 EPPSP ’21

In a year that was marked with many challenging moments, it is easy to overlook the moments that make a positive difference. Being the recipient of two scholarships through the College of Education, The Dr. Daisy (Marvel) Jones and Jerry L Burris Educational Leadership Scholarships have helped me to remember how much happiness can come from the support and encouragement of those closest to us. Butler University College of Education has provided me, and my wife Shelbi ’14, careers where we get to give back and support students to achieve their dreams. To be a recipient of these scholarships encourages me to continue to follow my dreams, better myself, and help create the next generation of schools as a school administrator. I am humbled to receive these awards. I am thankful to those who, through their generosity, ensure future teachers, counselors, and principals are prepared and supported in being a catalyst for generations of students to come. Once a Dawg always a Dawg!