Best-selling novelist James Patterson believes one way to champion books and reading for children is by supporting our future teachers. That explains why his family foundation has made annual gifts over the past four years, totaling $432,000, to the UF College of Education to create the James Patterson Teacher Education Scholarships, benefiting 26 students in elementary education. The scholarships provide yearly financial support during the students’ five-year master’s studies and internship.
Each scholarship recipient shares a passion for cultivating a love for reading in their future students. Not surprisingly, Patterson, a Florida resident largely known for his Alex Cross crime-mystery-thriller novel series, asks that each new Patterson Scholar do some writing of their own–submitting a written essay after their first academic year describing how they plan to apply what they’ve learned in their future classrooms.
Scholar Spotlights
Each scholar has a story to tell, a goal to strive for and a passion for teaching. You might call this “the “Patterson passion.”
Read more about each of the James Patterson Scholars below.
Michelle Beisel
Michelle was inspired to major in elementary education because she wants to teach children all over the world about the importance of learning and reading. One day, she hopes to own a daycare center or preschool.
“The James Patterson award is meaningful because it focuses on reading. I truly believe that reading is essential for young children, so essential that I chose to focus my career around it.”
Angel Berlanga
Angel is an education major because he wishes to help children succeed to their maximum potential and inspire them to develop a love for reading. He is also a member of the Kappa Delta Pi International Honor Society.
“With my degree, I plan to teach at the elementary level to help develop the fundamental skills and foundations needed to help students succeed in the rest of their academic careers.”
Ashley Burnam
Ashley sees herself teaching first graders after graduation, and subsequently pursuing a career in education administration as a principal. In her opinion, reading is a fundamental aspect of society because it helps people grow and develop.
“Not only does reading promote intellectual development, but it also promotes creative development. It’s something we use every day, and it’s essential to children’s learning.”
Shannan Campbell
After she earns her degree, Shannan aspires to teach reading to second or third graders. As a full-time student with a full-time waitressing job, Shannan still finds time to teach local kindergartners how to read. She believes reading is an essential part of our world, not only for students, but for everyone.
“I want to inspire students to read and feel confident when they’re reading, because reading is one of the most important aspects of life.”
Madelyn Casal
Madelyn is a junior pursuing her passion to become a teacher. She is very excited for her future as a possibly second grade teacher.
“I chose this path because I want to impact children in a positive way and help them become their best selves. I am currently a member of KDPI where I am able to collaborate with likeminded individuals and am interning in a first grade classroom.”
Gabriel Chavez
After Gabriel earns his degree in elementary education, he plans to pursue a doctorate at UF and become a college professor. One of his favorite parts of teaching can be explained in two words: student empowerment. Gabriel believes reading lends itself to student empowerment because it opens doors to alternate realities.
“Reading is so important because it opens portals into new dimensions. Children can learn about anything from science to social studies, and fictional and nonfictional stories can transport them into new worlds.”
Carli Chiarelli
Carli is passionate about teaching elementary school children how to read. After all, it was in elementary school where she first read The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and fell in love with reading herself.
“The James Patterson award is meaningful to me because I think it is important that future educators are recognized for their dedication and passion for teaching. I believe the field is undervalued and it’s crucial that the effort put forth by current and future educators is shared with as many people as possible.”
Kristina Denarski
Kristina Denarski has always known she wanted to be a teacher. As a future second grade teacher, she wants to focus on establishing an inclusive learning environment while meeting the needs of all of her students. She hopes to continue to pass on her passion for learning and teaching to future generations of students.
“Educators play many roles. For most students, an educator is like a second parent. It is important to remember that every child comes from a different living situation. I aspire to become an educator who provides a stable and secure learning environment for all my students. It is within these moments that I can make a difference in a child’s life.”
Hailey Egert
Hailey is excited to be part of the University of Florida’s Elementary Proteach Program and hopes to teach first through third-grade students after graduation. Hailey has always loved working with younger children and has learned so much through interactions with my professors, mentor teachers, and students.
“It was the Harry Potter series in third grade that opened my eyes to how much fun reading can truly be. It is my goal to instill this same love for reading in all my future students.”
Paige Fitzpatrick
Paige recently decided on a major in elementary education. She views the Patterson scholarship as a sign that this is the path she is meant to take in life and plans to teach first grade.
“Becoming a teacher is so meaningful to me because I want to bring heart and passion into the classroom, and make students excited to learn. I love the idea of making a positive impact on somebody’s future.”
Emily Flynn
When Emily becomes an elementary teacher after college, she hopes to help her students understand how something as simple as learning to read gives them the chance to change the world. She hopes students will remember her as someone who made an impact on their lives.
“What I love most about teaching is just getting to interact with students. Young children are always optimistic and we can learn a lot from them. They always think that good triumphs evil and look at this world in a perfect way.”
Julia Gruber
Julia first became interested in pursuing education while enrolled in a developmental psychology class in which she learned the importance of elementary teachers to a child’s development. She hopes to make a difference among children and inspire them to develop into their best selves.
“I hope to work as a 2nd or 3rd grade teacher focusing largely on inspiring a love for literature and creativity. I am so honored as a recipient of the James Patterson Scholarship and look forward to using it to build my future as an aspiring educator.”
Brooke Herman
After having been a medical assistant for many years, Brooke was inspired while volunteering in a kindergarten class to return to school myself to become a teacher. With the love and support of my family, Brooke will be graduating with my master’s degree in elementary education next spring.
“I feel strongly that every child has it within themselves to achieve great things. My goal is to encourage and inspire each of my students to believe they can accomplish all that they set out to do.”
Emily Hoenigmann
Emily comes from a family of educators and Gators. She is excited to teach in the middle-to-upper elementary grades after acquiring her M.Ed. and Reading Specialist Certification. She feels so blessed by the opportunities that the James Patterson Scholarship has provided for her, and she is committed to expressing her gratitude by investing wholeheartedly in the lives of all her future students.
“I didn’t always see myself becoming a teacher, but now I couldn’t imagine doing anything else. It is one of my greatest passions and joys in life to help a child feel known, loved, respected, valued, and empowered in their learning. Keep in mind that your students are little people with a lot of room in their hearts and minds, and you have the opportunity to fill both!”
Ashley Julien
Ashley Julien is a passionate educator studying to be an elementary education teacher. As a teacher, she feels she has the responsibility to make sure that the future generations are ready to take on any task that comes their way.
“As a mentor for children, my goal will be to give them the knowledge, tips, and tools needed to become successful. As Luke 6:40 says, “everyone who is perfectly instructed will be like his teacher.” My goal is to be an inspiration for my students and create more teachers for generations to come.”
Madison Kellenberger
Madison can’t wait to become an elementary school teacher. She favors inspirational novels and hopes she can share these with students all around the world.
“I want to be a supportive role model in the lives of my students. I want to set up a good environment to foster learning and inspire my students to be the best versions of themselves.”
Monique Levy
Monique has her sights set on teaching elementary school and eventually middle and high school, too. She considers helping students in all aspects of their lives an important part of teaching.
“As a teacher, I will strive to be a role model to someone. If I am able to help a student in more than one aspect – both academically and in their personal life–then I’ll be happy.”
Julia Marin
Julia is in her second year at UF, and she is determined to become an elementary school teacher. With support from the Patterson scholarship, she is able to devote additional time toward volunteering at schools.
“I can’t wait to be a teacher because it brings me such joy to know that I would be giving students something as powerful as an education, which is something no one can take away.”
Daniella Martinez
Daniella warmly remembers her elementary school years and hopes to create that same positive experience for her students. She cannot wait to have a lasting impact on the lives of the children in her classroom.
“Elementary school is such a formative period in children’s development. It is a time to build a strong foundation that will sustain them throughout their education and help them secure a better future.”
Morgan Peterson
Morgan is an education major because she has a passion for nurturing young minds to develop a unique sense of creativity. After graduation, she would like to apply everything she has learned in her ProTeach program to create a classroom environment where students are encouraged to tell their own stories.
“Students develop the greatest sense of creativity when they are encouraged to tell their own stories. I want to foster a learning environment that allows my students to develop honest and unique characteristics, which they will use to positively impact the world around them.”
Audrey Shapiro
Audrey just started the five-year Unified Elementary ProTeach program, putting her on track to receive a master’s in elementary education. She plans to teach second or third grade and aspires to be a positive role model for young children, providing them with a strong foundation of both academic and social skills.
“Educators are given the most rewarding opportunity in the world – to positively impact the children who will one day run this country.”
Taylor Strange
Taylor always knew she wanted to be a teacher and plans to start her career teaching kindergarten. She aims to share her passion for learning with students and make them excited to participate in class every day.
“Teaching gives you the chance to touch a student’s life for the rest of their life in a positive way. The idea is wonderful to me.”
Aida Valdes
Aida hopes to combine her two passions in life, music and teaching, as an elementary educator. She enjoys nothing more than the look on childrens’ faces when they understand concepts for the first time.
“I really love the ‘aha’ moment that children get. As a child I really struggled with comprehension and critical thinking, but not everyone was there to help me. Luckily, a few teachers stepped in and took the time to help me understand, and I hope I can do the same for my future students.”
Madeline Ward
Madeline, a Gainesville native, hopes to begin her career as an elementary educator and then transition into educational leadership and administration. She remembers her favorite teachers, who sacrificed everything to make each student feel important.
“I don’t want a single child to walk out of my classroom without feeling valued or loved. A lot of the time our society tells children they have to be a certain way to be accepted, but that’s not true. I want to help them understand that every student is accepted for who they are.”
Kaitlynn Weidner
Kaitlynn is a rising senior pursuing her bachelor’s degree in elementary education her masters through ProTeach. Her passion lies in reading and literacy development in students so they can feel equipped and empowered when they leave my classroom.
“I want my classroom to be a space where students feel safe to make mistakes, value growth from learning, and become the best version of themselves!”
Grant Werthman
Grant is a third year who already has a lot of experience under his belt. He volunteers as a leader for his church youth group and is part of a planning team for a children’s summer camp in Juneau, Alaska.
“I became an education major because I have a lot of experience with kids at after-school programs and summer camps. I came to love teaching kids, especially being a role model for young boys.”
To learn more about scholarships or the James Patterson Award, visit the UF College of Education Scholarship page or contact a Student Affairs Advisor.
