Taylor Emanuel awarded scholarship
Taylor Emanuel
Nancy Larson Foundation Scholar
New Rochelle, NY ( March 21, 2017 ) – Seton Hall University student Taylor Emanuel has been named a Nancy Larson Foundation Scholar and awarded a $1000 scholarship in recognition of her 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. Emanuel is one of five recipients selected from the many applications received by the Foundation.
In her personal narrative, Taylor explained why she was inspired to become a teacher. “I want to teach because I love kids. There needs to be a passion for the advancement and prosperity for the children of the future and I have this passion.”
Taylor lived in Antigua, a small country in the Caribbean, for the first five years of her life before they moved to the United States. She faced several challenges in adjusting to the new schooling system here, including a bit of a language barrier. Taylor recounts, “I remember just how much of a difference the right
teachers made in my life and what a struggle my interaction was with my first teacher. I want to specifically teach special education because children with special needs very often feel the way my teacher made me feel when I first began school in this country. I intend to make sure my practices and methods as a teacher promote growth and a love for learning with all my students.”
“Taylor really touched our committee with her experiences as a young, bright student who moved to the United States and overcame several obstacles on her way to adjusting to our educational system,” said Nancy Larson. “Those experiences, and the teachers who really helped her, inspired her to want to become a teacher to help other students succeed.”
Juniors, seniors and graduate students who have declared an elementary education major are invited to submit a personal narrative 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 fifth-grade students. The program was written to provide in-depth
science content in an easy-to-teach format.