Lillian Reninger awarded scholarship
Lillian Reninger
Nancy Larson Foundation Scholar
Salt Lake City, UT ( March 21, 2017 ) – University of Utah student Lillian Reninger 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. Reninger is one of five recipients selected from the many applications received by the Foundation.
In her personal narrative, Lillian explained why she was inspired to become a teacher. “I want to teach children because I believe they have so much to offer our world if they are only given the opportunity and the proper scaffolding to do so. In order for them to make their unique marks on the world, they need teachers that are committed to their success and wellbeing no matter their current academic progress, socio-economic status, or place of residence.” Lillian recounted how she was lucky because her family traveled a lot so she saw many educational differences around the world. Lillian said, “I lived in New Zealand and Germany and spent time on mission trips in Guatemala. In all these settings, I was inspired by the teachers’ unique teaching strategies and their continual support of their students’ goals and success. It is with this worldview that I believe I will make an excellent educator with my own unique mark.”
“Lillian really inspired our committee with her educational experiences abroad in schools that were very diverse in their methods but all very success oriented for their students. Those experiences really inspired her to want to become a teacher to help other students succeed,” said Nancy Larson.
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.