Brandon Ishikata
Nancy Larson Foundation Scholar
Graduate student Brandon Ishikata awarded scholarship
San Diego, CA (February 17, 2016) – San Diego State University graduate student Brandon Ishikata has been named a Nancy Larson Foundation Scholar and awarded a $1000 scholarship in recognition of his inspiring personal narrative, excellent academic record and spirit of community service.
The Nancy Larson Foundation proudly supports students across the country majoring in elementary education by awarding scholarships to deserving students each year. Ishikata is one of nine recipients selected from the many applications received by the Foundation.
In his personal narrative Ishikata explained, “As a Japanese American male, I want to be a role model and someone who embraces diversity. My grandfather, Morio Kitagaki, was the first Nisei (2nd generation Japanese American) industrial arts teacher in the San Francisco Unified School District. Even though I never had a chance to meet him, I aspire to continue his legacy as a passionate educator who puts his students first.”
“I am so passionate about pursuing a teaching career because I want to encourage students to pursue their dreams. I want to instill creativity, confidence and passion with all my students,” said Ishikata. “One experience I had volunteering at Junior Achievement really affected me. One little girl said to me, ‘Thank you, Mr. Ishikata, for making learning fun!’ I’ll remember this forever.”
Ishikata went on to say, “Another powerful experience I had during my student teaching was introducing eighty-four third graders to multicultural dance. Many of the students come from tough backgrounds, so it warmed my heart seeing the students smile and finding joy in Japanese, Bollywood, Latin ballroom, and 1950s dance lessons.”
“We get so many excellent applicants, but Brandon has such a love for teaching and for children,” said Nancy Larson. “It is clear to us from his story that he possesses the necessary qualities to communicate curriculum in innovative and creative ways to his students. We are happy to assist teachers like him.”
Juniors, seniors and graduate students who have declared an elementary education major are invited to submit a personal narrative about about why they want to teach, what personal experiences they have had that inspired them to teach and what will make them excellent teachers. Applicants are also asked to include community service activities and experiences they have had working with children.
Larson, a former teacher and curriculum director, has dedicated her life to advancing elementary education. Her original Saxon Math K–4 program was developed because teachers needed a classroom-tested math program that would prepare children for advanced math classes. In recent years, Larson has used the same approach to develop Nancy Larson Science for kindergarten through fourth-grade students. The program was written to provide in-depth science content in an easy-to-teach format.
To learn more about the Nancy Larson Foundation, visit http://nancylarsonfoundation.org.
About Nancy Larson Foundation
The Nancy Larson Foundation, founded in 2006 in Old Lyme, CT, has a history of awarding prospective elementary educators scholarships to encourage and support their education. The Nancy Larson Foundation awards scholarships to the top entries. For entry deadlines and requirements, or more information on the Foundation, visit http://nancylarsonfoundation.org.