Patricia Cassin Graft Student Teacher Assistance Fund

Patricia Cassin-Graft Student Teacher Assistance Fund

Student Teaching Awards

Deadline: Awarded Every Fall for the Entire Year

Financial assistance for National College of Education (NCE) students dedicated to teaching in under-served schools who will be student teaching anytime during September 2011 through June 2012.

Patricia Cassin-Graft, Class of 1957, and Michael J. Graft, Sr. have established the Patricia Cassin-Graft Student Teacher Assistance Fund at National Louis University. The fund is a permanent endowment supported by the Graft family, other alumni and friends. The fund is meant to ease the pressure on National College of Education students who are dedicated to serving under-served schools, who face financial stress, and who recognize the importance of the philanthropic values that have made these funds available.

Currently, the fund seeks to make awards up to $4,000 in tuition assistance to one or more graduate or undergraduate NCE students who will complete their final student teaching requirement in the 2011-2012 Academic Year.

The fund does not provide cash awards. Recipients of the award receive a credit to their account at National Louis to offset the cost of tuition during their student teaching.

Recipients of the award sign a written agreement that states they will teach in an under-served school of their choice in the Chicago or suburban region for the first two consecutive years following graduation. We define under-served schools as those where more than half of students are from low income families, and more than half of students are members of minority groups. Consult the Illinois State Board of Education eReport Card Public Site for information about specific public schools.

The fund looks for candidates of exceptional talent who: a) are committed to teaching in low income communities; b) show promise of becoming highly qualified teachers and role models; and c) have significant financial need.

Students who are interested in being considered for this award should prepare an original written narrative that includes all of the following topics in the order presented below:

PERSONAL: Your name and Student ID.

• Why you want to teach.
• Your favorite age group to teach, and why.
• Your favorite subject to teach, and why.

• Why you want to teach in an under-served school.
• What you think your biggest challenge in the classroom will be as a new teacher and how you will overcome that challenge.
• Why you think you should be selected among the other applicants who meet the criteria for this scholarship.
• How you will sustain your commitment to teaching.
• How you will "pay it forward" if you receive an award.

• A description of any off campus volunteer work or causes in which you have participated over the last two years.
• Description of other scholarships or awards received in the past.

• A general description of the financial need you will face during your student teaching.
• A general description of other financial resources available to you, and other financial obligations that you have.

• Any additional information that you think may be useful for consideration.
• You must also attach a resume and application form with contact information, including the name and phone numbers of your current place of employment, if you are currently employed.
• Note on essays: Typographical, grammatical, and editorial quality of essays are weighed as a reflection, in part, of an applicants ability to communicate and teach language and communication skills. Applicants may seek assistance and review of their essays, at no charge, from the university's Center for Academic Development. Feel free to contact the center's director, Stephen Neer (stephen.neer@nl.edu), 312.261.3374; or the center's e-mail box, cybercad@nl.edu or visit their website at www.nl.edu/cad.

Finalists will be asked to meet in person with university representatives and the Graft family at the university's Chicago campus, typically in December (date to be determined). No phone meetings will be conducted.

Recipients of the award may be asked to participate on an occasional basis in special events.

Click here for the application form, which must accompany your essay and resume.

Apply directly by sending application form, resume, and essay, all as attachments, to Stscholarships@nl.edu.

All submitted applications will receive an acknowledgement e-mail confirming receipt. If you do not receive a response to your application within 24 hours, it is your responsibility to contact us so that you can work together to identify the issue.

If you have any additional questions, please feel free to call Bruce Hill, Director of Major and Planned Gifts, at 312.261.3958 or e-mail at stscholarships@nl.edu.

Unfortunately, AUSL Residents and Chicago Teaching Fellows do not qualify for this specific scholarship.