Degrees: B.A. in Early Childhood & Special Education; Minor in International Studies
How did the Stamps Scholarship help shape your undergraduate experience?
Being a part of the Stamps Scholars community, both at my school and nationally, encouraged me to constantly explore my natural curiosity. This meant seeking opportunities beyond the parameters of my degree, which led to two semesters and a May term abroad, multiple internships, and further international travel, all of course with the support of the Stamps Scholarship. These experiences helped me to clarify my long-term goals, but furthermore, the Stamps Scholarship allowed me to find creative ways of uniting my passions and interests with my education. I credit the generosity of Mr. and Mrs. Stamps and the national community of Stamps Scholars with inspiring me to make the world my classroom.
Tell us a piece of wisdom you’ve learned over the past four years.
I could write a list of things that I was told would be impossible during my undergraduate career, but I have marked every item on that list as complete. I learned the difference between planning to do something and doing it, but I also learned the value of the relationships I formed along the way: with friends, mentors, bosses… Learning when to solicit and accept criticism, how to grow from the advice of others, and the importance of a “thank you” allowed me to build a network of people who were invested in my success. I found purpose not in marking the items on that list as complete, but rather in developing relationships that helped me to do so.
Who has had the greatest impact on you throughout your college career and how so?
Of course, without Mr. and Mrs. Stamps, the experiences that were so formative for me would not have been possible. But as I sought these experiences, I had the constant support of my parents who, since I was young, encouraged my natural curiosity. I have had a wonderful mentor, Dr. Elizabeth Coyle, who has given me much freedom to explore my interests and guided me in doing so. I’ve also been blessed with the unconditional friendship of another Stamps Scholar, Tiana, who constantly cheers me on, supports me, and often challenges me, which helps me to grow in my interests and academic pursuits.
What’s your favorite Stamps Scholar memory?
My college’s flight to the 2017 Stamps Scholars National Convention was cancelled, so the other seniors and I decided to take a road trip overnight from Pennsylvania to Atlanta. Thirteen hours later, we arrived, exhausted but excited to represent our school and to take part in all of the events. It was quite a long trip, but I will never forget this experience!
What comes next?
In the fall, I’ll start my Master’s in International Educational Development at Columbia University in New York City.
Please share your favorite inspirational quote.
“Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves, like locked rooms and like books that are now written in a very foreign tongue. Do not now seek the answers, which cannot be given you because you would not be able to live them. And the point is, to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps you will then gradually, without noticing it, live along some distant day into the answer.” – Rainer Maria Rilke