Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College (SMWC) students Mara Canada, a P-12 special education major, and Kristina Nichols, a P-3 mild intervention major, recently received the 2020 Indiana Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (IACTE) Outstanding Future Educator Award.
Both Canada, from Mt. Vernon, Indiana, and Nichols, from Terre Haute, Indiana, are seniors, graduating from SMWC in June.
“Candidates recognized with this distinction truly are promising new members of the vital education and teaching profession. Representing IACTE, I offer you sincere congratulations and great success as you begin your great career in the most noble profession, education and teaching,” said Deb Lecklider, Butler University IACTE President, in a message to the award winners.
Faculty and staff from the SMWC Education Department nominate and vote to select the annual recipients of this award. Typically, there is a special event in Indianapolis for winners from all of the participating Indiana institutions, which was cancelled this year due to the COVID-19 crisis.
“During her student teaching Kristina has displayed excellent teaching and classroom management strategies in the preschool classroom while being the assistant director of Sherri’s Small World and juggling the duties of a foster parent,” said faculty advisor, Youjin Yang, Ph.D.
Nichols is also a Teacher Education and Compensation Helps (T.E.A.C.H.) scholar, a program designed to address the issues of under-education, poor compensation and high turnover within the early childhood workforce in Indiana.
Department chair Wendy Walter, Ph.D., said “Mara has excelled in all of her coursework while being a member of the SMWC basketball team and an active member of Indiana Student Education Association.”
Canada also received the 2019-20 Pomeroy Athletic Service Award because of her service to the community and campus. IACTE is a professional organization of colleges and universities with undergraduate and/or graduate programs to prepare professional educators and is a state organization of the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE). It is made up of university administrators and faculty, and actively seeks input from a variety of constituent groups.