It was a year ago today that my mother left the world of the living. I miss her so much. I called my father today and he sounds pretty depressed, understandably.
I want to create a scholarship in my mother's name for low-income college-enrolled students who hail from Camden City, New Jersey. I had strongly considered Temple's College of Education, since they have an urban education component to their studies. My mother, Cheryl Stern Goodman, was a '66 Temple alumnus (I believe it was 1966). She passed away June 2, 2006. I am planning to commemorate my mother's life and 40-year education career through helping other future teachers. My mother grew up in Philadelphia, attended Girls' High, taught in the City of Philadelphia and then later in Camden City, NJ. She was an accomplished elementary school teacher dedicated to her students and to urban education.
But while Temple University's College of Education is an outstanding school and a seemingly perfect fit for a scholarship in which to honor the memory of my mother, I was discouraged by the high out-of-state tuition (almost $18,000 per semester, as opposed to just under $10,000 for PA residents). We are unsure how much of an impact a meager $1,200 scholarship (interest from a $25,000 endowment, which is my initial fundraising goal) would make for a low-income student who hails from Camden, NJ.
Upon consideration of the high out-of-state tuition, I am more inclined to keep a scholarship local in the Camden City/County area. While I personally feel that Temple is by far one of the best colleges in which a student can immerse her/himself in urban education studies, the importance of a disadvantaged student getting a college degree - any college degree - far outweighs the importance of choosing a specific major.
In my heart, I would prefer to create a scholarship specific to education, so I am still on the hunt for a local (New Jersey) school that might at least partially satisfy this requirement. However, we may be willing to choose a school that does not offer a major with an urban or childhood education component, in order that we may give a qualified low-income student from Camden City, NJ a chance at higher education.
I want to create a scholarship in my mother's name for low-income college-enrolled students who hail from Camden City, New Jersey. I had strongly considered Temple's College of Education, since they have an urban education component to their studies. My mother, Cheryl Stern Goodman, was a '66 Temple alumnus (I believe it was 1966). She passed away June 2, 2006. I am planning to commemorate my mother's life and 40-year education career through helping other future teachers. My mother grew up in Philadelphia, attended Girls' High, taught in the City of Philadelphia and then later in Camden City, NJ. She was an accomplished elementary school teacher dedicated to her students and to urban education.But while Temple University's College of Education is an outstanding school and a seemingly perfect fit for a scholarship in which to honor the memory of my mother, I was discouraged by the high out-of-state tuition (almost $18,000 per semester, as opposed to just under $10,000 for PA residents). We are unsure how much of an impact a meager $1,200 scholarship (interest from a $25,000 endowment, which is my initial fundraising goal) would make for a low-income student who hails from Camden, NJ.
Upon consideration of the high out-of-state tuition, I am more inclined to keep a scholarship local in the Camden City/County area. While I personally feel that Temple is by far one of the best colleges in which a student can immerse her/himself in urban education studies, the importance of a disadvantaged student getting a college degree - any college degree - far outweighs the importance of choosing a specific major.
In my heart, I would prefer to create a scholarship specific to education, so I am still on the hunt for a local (New Jersey) school that might at least partially satisfy this requirement. However, we may be willing to choose a school that does not offer a major with an urban or childhood education component, in order that we may give a qualified low-income student from Camden City, NJ a chance at higher education.
