Springtime for students is also known as scholarship time. The Society is pleased to announce the 1999 recipients of both of its awards.

1999 Harbison Award
Energetic, honest, and friendly are the words the winner of the P. Buckley Moss Society—Anne and Matt Harbison Award used to describe herself. Ariel S. Mann of Buffalo Grove, Illinois, will receive $1,000 to assist with her studies at the University of Arizona.

Ariel's accomplishments at Adlai E. Steven-son High School in Lin-colnshire are numerous. She has remained in all regular and accelerated classes in a prestigious school while continuing to develop strategies to accommodate her learning disabilities of dyslexia and visual perception problems. She has earned a 3.3 weighted grade point average.

She has played volleyball and soccer and was voted captain for both teams. When not participating in an interscholastic sport, Ariel has been a student athletic trainer. She has also worked as an instructional aide for adapted physical education classes.

Some of her weekend time is spent giving back to the sport which has taught her so much. A soccer player since first grade, she has never had a female coach or female referee. She says, “As a certified FIFA referee, I believe that I am now a role model for young soccer players, both male and female.” She has also begun coaching her own team of third grade girls.

In addition, Ariel has coordinated the orientation program for all new students to Stevenson for the past two years. With her certification in First Aid and CPR, she worked with the teachers in health classes to teach CPR and certify their students. Also, she was the recipient of the Stevenson award in citizenship last year. This award is given to a junior who best exemplifies a commitment to continuous improvement and causes beyond one's own self interest and contribution to the community.

Ariel's English teacher notes that she is “every teacher's dream — a life learner...[who] truly enjoys being in school, and that enjoyment is contagious.” Her history teacher says that she is a “wonderful example of Student-Athlete who continues to give as much to the school as she receives.”

Ariel knows that she learns differently and she knows her strengths and her weaknesses. Above all, she knows that she can be successful. She hopes to earn her bachelor's degree in Exercise Physiology or Kinesiology. Her ultimate goal is to complete a master's level Physical Therapy Program and become a certified Physical Therapist.

Kathy Young, an LD teacher and a former featured collector, is the Society member who nominated Ariel.

Harbison Renewal
The 1998 Harbison Award winner received a renewal of her $1,000 scholarship for 1999. Mary Steepleton, who is studying Horse Production and Management, says, “My first year at college at ATI was a great experience.”

During the fall quarter, Mary learned how to handle horses by using restraints without injuring the animals. These restraints help when clipping, breeding, or grooming the horses. She also learned how to look for conformation problems when a horse is walking or standing.

One of her spring quarter classes included visiting Amish families to learn about their lifestyle. She was excited about this class because of the importance of horses in the Amish way of life.

Next year, Mary will study horse health, farriering, and horse management. She expects to learn how to look for signs of sickness or disease and how to treat it; trimming horse feet, where a horse may be going lame, and the different muscles in the foot; and how to manage a barn, keep record books, sell horses, and manage finances.

Mary says, “Thank you for giving me this great opportunity so that I can acquire the knowledge to be good in my field.”

Cary Scholarship
Karla Mettert of Churubusco, Indiana, is the recipient of the 1999 Judith Cary Scholarship of $1,000. She holds a B.S. in Elementary Education and is earning a mild disabilities minor from Indiana-Purdue at Fort Wayne in order to become a fully-licensed special education teacher.

Caring, motivated, and enthusiastic are Karla's words to describe herself. Others describe her as “positive and upbeat. She encourages (and expects) her students to do their best.” The director of the IPFW Curriculum Computer Lab says she is a “positive, responsible, and honest person who works very enthusiastically with children and adults.”

Karla first decided to pursue a teaching degree when her younger son began the first grade. Since she really enjoyed her time at home with her two sons — Chris, 20, and Alan, 16 — she decided on a career where she could still be around children. Her special ed students have become her second family.

She taught third grade at Albion Elementary for half a year before teaching in a learning disabled/mildly mentally handicapped classroom for the past three and a half years. She states, “When new students come into my program, they usually feel frustrated and defeated. I like to make each student feel success and then challenge them by teaching them in the style they learn best.”

At her school, Karla is the Science Fair Coordinator and serves on the Crisis Intervention Team and the Student Assistance Team. Previously she was involved with student council and the social committee. In addition, she has been a 4-H leader and a Sunday School teacher. During her spare time, she enjoys reading, gardening, and outdoor activities.

An outstanding student in both her undergraduate years as well as her graduate classes, Karla maintains a 4.0 GPA. What excites her about teaching is that “I am able to see my students' achievements, and also I am able to help them work around or through their disabilities to help them achieve success.”

Karla was nominated by Society member Susie Hague, a fellow teacher at Albion Elementary.

All three of these recipients were thrilled to receive the news of their scholarships. The Society is proud of these people as well as all the remaining applicants for both awards. We look forward to following their progress.

Article from : Sentinel : Vol 13, No 3 : July 1999