25 minute read
Class Notes
ClassNotes
The Student Success Center opened in 2014, providing a collaborative, high-impact environment to support student learning, health and services. The first two floors were designed to foster dynamic interactions; the top floors have additional quiet spaces for individual study.
70 IN MEMORIAM: Barbara McKnight Benham died on March 4. She was elected president of her senior class and later held various leadership positions for the Madison College Class of 1970 alumni group, working closely with the Alumni Association to organize a virtual reunion in 2020. She majored in English, and also played tennis and field hockey. After graduation, Benham taught English at Manasquan High School for one year before marrying her high school friend and college sweetheart, Bill Benham.
72 Charlie (’85M) and Dianne Wood Wymer (’72) donated a bench to the Edith J. Carrier Arboretum in celebration of Charlie’s 50th class reunion. 77 Gilbert Bland will receive the 2022 Darden Award for Regional Leadership from the CIVIC Leadership Institute. The Darden Award recognizes individuals and corporate leaders who help shape and improve the Hampton Roads region of Virginia.
“The opportunity to be included in the ranks of the highly respected individual and corporate past awardees as well as this year’s corporate winner, Sentara Healthcare, is a high honor,” Bland said. “Each of these awardees has signifi
Barbara McKnight Benham (’70) cantly and widely contributed to the development of Hampton Roads as an exceptional community to visit, live and
Charlie (’72, ’85M) and Dianne (’72) Wymer at the Arboretum
71 Members of the Iota Alpha Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. returned to JMU to celebrate the 50th anniversary of their sorority’s founding. As the first Black, Greeklettered organization chartered on campus on Dec. 11, 1971, more than 150 members celebrated in style from April 29 to May 1. Because of the COVID19 pandemic, the anniversary weekend was rescheduled from the fall of 2021 to the spring of 2022.
Open to the public, My Sister’s Keeper 5K Walk/Run took place on April 30 at University Park. The walk remembered sorority members whose lives left indelible impacts on their communities. All proceeds went to a deserving high school senior.
To commemorate the sorority’s legacy, Iota Alpha Chapter members curated a library exhibit of artifacts that will be on display as part of a Special Collections project at Carrier Library.
Sorority members are renowned for making history on campus by becoming the first Black fencer; first Black woman on the JMU Board of Visitors; first Black “Ms. Madison;” cofounder of the JMU Black Alumni Chapter; first Black woman on the president’s Diversity Task Force and first two Black women in the inaugural African studyabroad program to Ghana. Committed to community service, sorority members have led and facilitated projects impacting JMU and Harrisonburg, including participating in Alzheimer’s, American Diabetes and sicklecell walks; mentoring girls at Spotswood Elementary School; AdoptaHighway; founding the DIVAS girls mentoring program; volunteering at local blood drives and aiding with food collections including the JMU food pantry. Members are also known for supporting students and citizens in Rockingham County by donating items after a major snowstorm, as well as volunteering at the Boys & Girls Club, Lucy F. Simms Continuing Education Center, soup kitchen and Brookdale senior living. They have also donated to Harrisonburg’s first Little Free Library.
Information on private events, from sisterly gatherings to a Legacy Gala, can be found at https://tinyurl.com/2p8swvuv.
The Iota Alpha Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. was chartered on the campus of Madison College by 11 AfricanAmerican female students with fortitude and determination. These women sought to make their mark on Madison by getting involved at the height of the civil rights movement. More than 360 college-educated women have been initiated through the Iota Alpha Chapter with a commitment to sisterhood, scholarship, service and social action as well as Delta Sigma Theta’s FivePoint Programmatic Thrust: economic development, educational development, international awareness and involvement, physical and mental health, and political awareness and involvement.
Staff Emeriti Association celebrates return to in-person activities
BY TINA UPDIKE (’73), SEA Steering Committee chair
During 2020-21, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Staff Emeriti Association kept in touch by electronic means. Now the organization’s activities and events are back in-person and support its mission of allowing members to actively engage with JMU and the community.
The SEA, which is open to retired, full-time classified employees who have earned emeriti status and want to continue association with colleagues and the university, has reinstated its monthly luncheon series.
SEA’s premier event is the annual membership luncheon with a “State of the University” address by a JMU administrator. The May 26 event was held in the Montpelier Room of JMU’s East Campus Dining Hall, and it began with a reception where attendees could connect with former colleagues and greet new members.
Prior to lunch, SEA chair Tina Updike (’73) welcomed members and guests, highlighting accomplishments and initiatives from the past two years. The association has grown thanks to a partnership with Human Resources to increase awareness of the staff emeriti designation across campus. As a result, 270 classified staff retirees have earned the designation, and more than 30% are active SEA members.
After a delicious meal prepared by Aramark, Tim Miller (’96, ’00M), vice president for Student Affairs, provided an overview of JMU’s achievements and new developments for the 2021-22 academic year. Following his presentation, attendees enjoyed a lively Q&A with Miller.
The event ended with a raffle of door prizes donated by various JMU departments. The SEA thanks Human Resources for sponsoring this event.
For more information about the SEA and upcoming events, visit jmu.edu/staffemeriti or email staffemeriti@jmu.edu. work. Over the last three decades, I have joined with many to build upon the efforts of countless, often unsung, past leaders to help improve lives and build opportunities in our region, especially in underserved communities. To be personally recognized for these efforts is not just a salute to my endeavors, but rather a recognition of the importance of the need for a strong inclusive community and workforce.”
Bland is president and CEO of the Urban League of Hampton Roads. He began his career as a commercial lending officer for the Continental Bank of Chicago and served as a vice president of commercial lending for the Independence Bank of Chicago. He has been an owner/operator of quickservice restaurants for more than 30 years, primarily as a franchisee of Burger King and Pizza Hut. In this capacity, he has owned, constructed and operated more than 70 restaurants in Virginia, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Washington, D.C., employing more than 2,000 team members annually. The Burger King Corp. endowed a scholarship in his name at JMU. 81 Barry Duval, Gilbert Bland (’77) and Kathy Warden (’92) made Virginia Business’ 2022 list of the commonwealth’s 50 most influential people. 82 Kim Miller McCallister (’84M) formed a grassroots effort in November
(L-R): Barry Duval (’81), Gilbert Bland (’77) and Kathy Warden (’92) 2021 to raise funds for a student graduating from Patrick Henry High School in western Hanover County, Virginia. McCallister used community social media pages to ask for donors who had ties to the high school or to JMU. The idea of paying it forward to a student with intentions of joining JMU’s Class of 2026 was important as a way to honor the university’s “opening doors” philosophy. McCallister’s husband, Mitch (’81), and her daughter, Rebecca (’16), also attended JMU. Within a few short weeks, local donors had pledged $1,000. A committee created an application with a focus on academics, local community service and a written paragraph to answer the prompt: “JMU alumni are opening doors for future Dukes with this scholarship. How will you make the most of your college experience at JMU, and how do you plan on ‘opening doors’ for future Dukes after you graduate?” After working with the school’s career counselor, the committee scored the applicants and was proud to award this year’s scholarship to Jenna Dyke. Unbeknownst to the committee, Dyke’s father, Sean CONTINUED ON PAGE 58 >>>
Celebrations
WEDDINGS, HONORS & FUTURE DUKES
2 3
4 5
1 Josh Humphries (’15, ’20M) married Ashley Lockhart on March 5 at The Country Club of Virginia. Several JMU alumni and staff members attended the wedding. 2 Megan (Gerrity) Barnett (’16, ’17M) and Andrew Barnett (’11, ’12M) married on Feb. 19. 3 Thomas (’12) and Hannah Borgerding (’12) welcomed their first baby, and future Duke, Lucy Jane Borgerding, on Sept. 17, 2021. 4 Louise Chamberlin (’10) and Omer Al Khanchi (’10) welcomed a son, Jude, on Jan. 12. He joins his 3-year-old sister, Zaya. 5 Sagar Mehra (’14) and Allison (Welborn) Mehra (’14) celebrated their marriage in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, after meeting eight years ago at Rose Library, then known as East Campus Library. 6 Tiffany Balbuena Funkhouser (’15) and Andrew Funkhouser (’16) were married on July 3, 2021, at The River View in Lorton, Virginia. Members of their JMU Family, friends and Road Dawg celebrated with them.
6
8
7
7 Sarah (Anderson) Stone (’18) and Michael Stone (’17) married on May 14 at Big Spring Farm in Lexington, Virginia. They met while pursuing Geology degrees. Their wedding planner, Jordan (Owens) Snider (’20), runs Boundless Love Events, and florist Aaren Bare is a JMU faculty member who oversees Valley Garden Co. 8 Mackenzie Bayly (’18) and Matt Bayly (’16) celebrated their nuptials with fellow Dukes on Sept. 26, 2021. 9 At the annual JMU Diversity Conference on March 23, the Office of the President honored the Black Alumni Chapter with a Compass Award. The award
9
recognizes individuals or groups with demonstrated outstanding contributions to diversity and inclusion at JMU and/or in the community. (L-R): John Mitchell (’93), BAC president; Tiffany Brutus (’04, ’06M), former BAC leadership team member; Donna Harper (’77, ’81M, ’86Ed.S.), president’s office representative; Paula Bowens (’89), former BAC president; Simeon Deskins (’90), BAC leadership team member; Bettina Mason (’87, ’95M), former BAC leadership team member; Deborah Tompkins Johnson (’78), BAC co-founder and former vice rector of the Board of Visitors.
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 56 >>> (’98), also graduated from JMU, and the family is recovering from the loss of their home to a fire in the fall of 2021.
The committee gathered enough JMU swag to fill two bags to present to Dyke, along with her check, at the May 25 awards ceremony. Kelly Evko (’88) was gracious enough to attend the ceremony and make the presentation.
The scholarship will continue next year, and news of it has inspired other alumni in Hanover County to begin taking steps to develop their own JMU scholarship. n David W. Nicholson published the second edition of Philosophy of Education in Action: An Inquiry-Based Approach. Nicholson is a professor of Education at Stevenson University in Maryland.
(Left): Kim Miller McCallister (’82, ’84M), seated at left, with the paying-it-forward group of JMU Family and friends. (Right): Kelly Evko (’88) with scholarship recipient and future Duke Jenna Dyke.
84 Lisa Botkin, who majored in Accounting, was appointed executive director of the Shenandoah Valley Regional Airport. She had served as interim executive director since February. Prior to joining the airport, she spent
CLASS NOTES
15 years at a private accounting firm.
“I have connected with many talented people working for the Shenandoah Valley Airport and have the utmost respect for the knowledge they bring to the aviation industry,” Botkin said. “I look forward to continuing these relationships as executive director of our organization. SHD has a bright future ahead as we continue to expand with a number of exciting projects over the next few years.”
“Lisa’s wealth of experience in finance, airport operations, employee relations and airportimprovement programs will enable a seamless transition to the executive director role,” said Gerald Garber, chairman of the Airport Commission. “She is well respected in the aviation community and has developed great relationships with our federal and state aviation agencies over the past 23 years. The Airport Commission is confident SHD will continue to flourish under her leadership.”
For the past nine years, Botkin has served as treasurer of the Virginia Airport Operators Council, the organization representing Virginia’s 66 publicuse airports, where she has twice received the President’s Award. Locally, she is a member of the Shenandoah Valley Society for Human Resource Management, a board member of the Augusta Regional SPCA and a longtime fitness instructor at the Staunton YMCA.
85 Virginia Delegate Jay Leftwich Jr. (RChesapeake) and state Senator Scott Surovell (’93) (DFairfax) each won the SIA David W. Nich- Legislator of the Year olson (’82) Award by the Security Industry Association. The award is presented to members of Congress and other elected officials who have demonstrated extraordinary Lisa Botkin (’84) leadership in advancing legislation and policies that encourage the effective use of technology solutions that enhance public safety and security, and protect critical infrastrucJay Leftwich ture. In April, Leftwich Jr. (’85) and Surovell authored a bipartisan measure to establish statewide rules for law enforcement’s use of facial recognition technology. Melvin J. Brown (’93) 86 Christopher “Chris” Hickey is the director of the Lexington Medical Society in Lexington, Kentucky. 93 Melvin J. Brown became superintendent of Montgomery Public Schools in Montgomery, Alabama, on July 1. Brown previously served as superintendent of Reynoldsburg City Schools in Reynoldsburg, Ohio. n Former roommates and lifelong friends Kim (Tufts) Lewis, LeeAnne (Marinaccio) Carlson, Kristin (Newill) Chandler, Alice (Riddick) Shaffer and Lara Juenger jointly celebrated their 50th birthdays in St. Martin in January. n Mari Early was featured Heath-Mullin Family Scholarship Endowment for Valley Scholars
Dear Holly and William Mullin,
I am a rising senior Dietetics major at James Madison University. I am grateful to be a recipient of your scholarship fund to support my journey as a first-generation college student. The financial support I have received continues to push me forward to achieve my Bachelor of Science in Dietetics, and propel me to eventually earn my Master of Science in Dietetics from JMU. As a student who always looks for what comes next, this award allows me to stay focused and appreciate the present. As a Valley Scholar, my thoughts of pursuing a college degree and entering the field where I hope to make the most difference in the future has become a reality. I am eternally grateful to have donors like yourselves to aid in continuing what President Alger has always told me to do: DREAM BIG. Thank you for allowing me to dream, then lay the bricks for that dream when I come to JMU’s campus. I appreciate every day I am able to work toward becoming a registered dietitian, and this generous financial support has strengthened that appreciation even more so. Thank you for supporting me in this journey, and I am more than happy to have you accompany me for the remaining two semesters of my undergraduate studies. I don’t want you to go unnoticed and miss it, and please know it could never happen without you. Thank you, and I hope these words do justice for my gratitude. Yours,
Kaitlyn Good
Dietetics major
Presidential inaugurations attended by alumni delegates
Lipscomb University, March 29, 2022, Nashville, TN Curtis Slike (’13), a College of Business alumnus of Hendersonville, Tennessee, served as delegate for the 18th Presidential Inauguration of Dr. Candice McQueen in the Allen Arena on Lipscomb’s campus.
McDaniel College, April 9, 2022, Westminster, MD Julie Newman (’86), a College of Business alumna of Phoenix, Maryland, represented the university at the inauguration of Dr. Julia Jasken, the 10th president of McDaniel College in the Robert Joshua Gill Center.
Hollins University, April 22, 2022, Roanoke, VA Jeff Smith (’90), a College of Business alumnus from Roanoke, Virginia, represented JMU at the 13th Presidential Inauguration of Dr. Mary Dana Hinton.
University of South Carolina Upstate, April 15, 2022, Spartanburg, SC George Wheeler (’88), a College of Business alumnus from Greenville, South Carolina, served as the JMU delegate at the investiture of Dr. Bennie Lee Harris, the fifth chancellor of the University of South Carolina Upstate. Wheeler enjoyed representing JMU and said the event was “beautiful and the weather was perfect.”
in the book I Color Myself Different by Colin Kaepernick. Illustrator Eric Wilkerson used images of Early to create the character Ms. Musa. A lifelong educator, Early devotes her career to removing barriers and advocating for children. 95 Scott Blanchette was inducted into the 2022 class of the CIO Hall of Fame along with the chief information officers of the NFL, Meta, Hewlett Packard and Toyota Financial. Blanchette spent nearly 20 years as CIO of five companies, including three publicly traded companies. He recently retired from the profession to focus on his foundation, which records the oral histories of Vietnam aviators, a passion he developed as a History major. 98 As CEO of GridPoint, Mark Danzenbaker is responsible for executing the company’s mission to accelerate the world’s transition to a sustainableenergy future by creating a network of smart, efficient, gridinteractive buildings. The company recently received a $75 million strategic investment from Goldman Sachs Asset Management and Shell Ventures. 01 Anna A. Skowronski Mahaney, an experienced housingfinance attorney based in Ballard Spahr’s Baltimore, Maryland, office, is now coleader of Ballard Spahr’s National Housing Finance Group, widely regarded as one of the nation’s top practices of its kind. Mahaney represents mortgage lenders in commercial real estate financing transactions, including construction, acquisition, refinancing, bridge and permanent loans, particularly for multifamily, affordable housing and seniors housing proj
ects. She also represents real estate owners and developers in real estate finance transactions. Mahaney joins Ballard Spahr partner Mary Jo George as Housing Finance pracScott Blanch- tice coleader. The practice ette (’95) includes more than 40 attorneys in Ballard Spahr’s offices nationwide. 05 IN MEMORIAM: Chelsea Washington, a graduate of the School of Media Arts and Design, died Mark Danzen- on Feb. 28. An accomplished baker (’98) broadcast journalist, Washington was an anchor and multimedia journalist at a TV outlet in Louisville, Kentucky. Previously, she reported and anchored for the Fox affiliate in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, receiving an Emmy Chelsea nomination. Washington held Washington (’05) prior positions at network affiliates in Richmond, Virginia; Columbia, South Carolina; and Washington, D.C. She earned a master’s degree in Broadcast Journalism from American University. Anna A. Skowronski 09 Chinah Helmandollar Jewell, a special education Mahaney (’01) teacher, won Teacher of the Year
Members of the Class of 1993 reunited in St. Martin in January to celebrate their 50th birthdays. Shari Hulin Epps (’93) recently read I Color Myself Different to daughter Skyla: “Our bedtime story tonight was one of the best! And to top it all off, the teacher featured in the book was one of my roommates, Mari Early (’93). Skyla thought that was soooo cool, and now she thinks we’re famous.”
at Burnt Chimney Elementary in Franklin County, Virginia.
12 Gray F. Kidd (’14M) was appointed assistant director and team lead for graduate programs at the Center for Research and Fellowships at Villanova University.
13 James Blanks, who earned a bachelor’s degree in Psychology, joined the Institute for Defense Analyses as a business partner in the Human Resources Directorate located at IDA’s Alexandria, Virginia, headquarters. IDA is a nonprofit corporation that operates three federally funded research and development centers in the public interest. IDA answers the most challenging U.S. security and science policy questions with objective analysis, leveraging extraordinary scientific, technical and analytic expertise.
From JMU to Broadway
Scholarship helped Jacob Dickey (’13) land part in musical comedy Company
BY JEN KULJU (’04M)
Jen Kulju: What does it mean to you to have received a Theatre General Scholarship to study Musical Theatre? Jacob Dickey (’13): Any support to pursue training in the arts is a privilege and a gift. I have been blessed to have had support from a young age, and for that, I am forever grateful.
Kulju: Share a time when you were a part of Dukes working together.
Dickey: My greatest takeaway from JMU will always be the relationships I made. My two chosen circles were Theatre and A Cappella (Hey, Overtones! Hey, what?), both intrinsically collaborative, creative and social spaces to inhabit. In those spaces, I was lucky enough to work with some of the best people I know every day and form bonds that have lasted long past graduation day — one of those bonds being my husband, Sean Grady (’14)!
Kulju: What professional experiences prepared you for your role in Company?
Kulju: How did the late George Sparks, former dean of the College of Visual and Performing Arts, impact your college career?
Dickey: In addition to being in the ensemble, I understudy three principal roles in Company. Had I not spent the last four years in a very similar track at Aladdin on Broadway understudying the titular role and a few others, I don’t think the process here would have been quite as relaxed for me. Not that it was easy! CVPA scholarship recipient and Musical Theatre graduate Jacob Dickey (‘13) walks the red carpet on opening night Understudying multiple roles is incredibly difficult and requires of the Broadway musical comedy Company. a very specific set of skills. Four years of practice in a huge Broadway spectacular with a lot of moving parts like Aladdin certainly prepared me for this!
Dickey: Dean Sparks was a generous and vocal supporter of the arts, and as a Theatre student at a large public [university], that kind of support was essential and affirming. Our program, which has grown tenfold since my days in the Forbes Center, would not be what it is today without his attention and care.
Kulju: You played a New Yorker in the Broadway musical comedy Company. What did it mean to be a part of a Stephen Sondheim show at a time when his life and legacy are being remembered?
Dickey: Everything. Company has been a dream of mine since high school, and to be part of it now, at this exact moment, is surreal, to say the least. A week before his death, Stephen came to our first preview and afterward held court by the theatre bar late into the night. It was a magical evening, and to have had that experience so close to his final moments — while performing in a production he was so proud of — is something I will never take for granted. Stephen was so excited about the show and the audience. He kept telling us to “remember this night and this feeling,” and I will.
Kulju: How did JMU prepare you for the real world and what you’re doing now?
Dickey: I definitely learn by doing, and the opportunities I was given as a student taught me so much about myself as a person and an artist. But it all goes back to relationships for me. I certainly have a lot of life to live (knock on wood), but I can confidently say that relationships are all that really matter. The friendships I formed at JMU, and that I continue to nurture, are some of the most important things in my life. JMU prepared me for life by arming me with a beautiful chosen family!
Kulju: What else would you like to add?
Dickey: If someone could figure out how to send me a pumpkin milkshake from Kline’s, that would be much appreciated.
Sagar Mehra (’14)
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 60 >>> 14 Sagar Mehra, a Biotechnology graduate, completed his doctorate in Optometry at NovaSoutheastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. He is practicing at the Visual Health Doctors of Optometry, headquartered in Northern Virginia.
15 Gregory Houchins has been chosen as a Breakthrough Energy Fellow. Founded by Bill Gates, Breakthrough Energy aims to accelerate innovation in sustainable energy and other technologies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This remarkable program helps to accelerate cleanenergy innovations by providing financial and professional resources to innovators working on earlystage technologies. The first BE Fellows cohort is focused on critical technology areas positioned to have a significant impact on emissions reductions: electro fuels, green hydrogen, zerocarbon cement, steel and fertilizer. Houchins received his bachelor’s degree in Physics and Mathematics before cofounding CHEMent. CHEMent takes the same cheap and abundant raw materials used to make Portland cement but employs a roomtemperature, electrochemical process that eliminates the first 50% of carbondioxide emissions in the cementmaking process.
18 Alex Grant, a graduate of the College of Business, is now a corporate senior accounting analyst with The Walt Disney Co. Grant graduated a semester early from JMU to accept a College Program Internship at Walt Disney World. After the internship, he began a parttime parks position that allowed him to pursue a Master of Business Administration at the University of Central Florida through the Disney Aspire Program. With the financial backing of Disney and a JMU education, Grant successfully completed his MBA in May 2020 during the COVID19 pandemic. He was offered a projecthire position in the finance and accounting department at Disney that led to a fulltime corporate role. At JMU, Grant completed a studyabroad program in International Business, was a member of the winning team in the JacksonRainey competition and served as SGA executive treasurer — all endeavors that his faculty mentors encouraged him to pursue.
Gregory Houchins (’15) Kevin Robert Dunbar (’80) Scholarship Endowment for the Semester in London Program
Dear Kevin and Martha Dunbar,
My name is Breyana Hopkins, and I am a double major in Health Sciences and Theatre with minors in Honors Interdisciplinary Studies and Pre-Medicine. I am finishing up my last year at James Madison University, and I am so grateful for all the opportunities I have been afforded because of donors like you. I love to sing, dance, explore and help others. My end goal is to be a pediatrician so that I can help kids be confident in themselves and their health. I am so excited to be able to go to London because of your help! It has always been a dream of mine to travel to Europe and learn more about different experiences and perspectives. I hope that I can enjoy their art, music, culture and history, discovering more about myself in the process. Additionally, I am able to complete my degree by studying abroad — something that I could not do because the pandemic canceled my trip. I am so excited to do something that I have been dreaming of since I was in elementary school and make up for lost time! I am very thankful to you for helping me attend this study-abroad journey! I wish the best for you, and if I could tell you about my experience, I would! Let me know if this is something you’d be interested in or if it is possible. Thank you so, so much from the bottom of my heart. This really means a lot to me. Thank you!
Breyana Hopkins (’22)
Damico Special Education Scholarship in the Department of Educational Foundations and Exceptionalities
Dear Mr. and Mrs. Damico,
As cliché as it sounds, I have always known that I wanted to be a teacher. It was not until high school that I decided I wanted to work with children with special needs. During my four years in high school, I volunteered almost every day at our sister school for students with disabilities. Knowing that I wanted to be a teacher, but not knowing that James Madison University offered any classes in special education, I began my freshman year minoring in Elementary Education. I was very thankful to find out during my sophomore year that JMU offered Inclusive Early Childhood Education, which is when I switched my minor. Once my IECE courses started, they got better each semester. What I have loved the most about them are the connections I have made and how caring my professors have been. I have not had one IECE course where a professor did not care about what they were teaching. The passion I see in each professor has given me that same passion and love for what I am doing. The main takeaway from my courses at JMU has been the importance of inclusion. Inclusion is such a significant issue that educators face in special and general education. It is so important to me that all children are treated equally in school systems no matter their race, gender, or physical or mental disability. During my time at JMU, I have learned how to create an inclusive classroom. It is a daunting task to think about as I prepare to have a classroom of my own in a few years. However, it is one of my top goals. I have learned how to make all my students feel valued, and how to assist their learning and interests. I do not want my classroom to feel like there is a divide between students and their abilities. All students are capable of so much, and as teachers, we must give them the tools to embark on those abilities. I am so thankful to be awarded this scholarship and cannot express enough my gratitude to be given this opportunity. Being awarded this scholarship allowed me to continue my education to advocate for children with disabilities and use my knowledge to guide them in their educational and daily lives. Thank you,
