Elementary education graduate Elaina Quilty ’21 is a recipient of the Dr. Stewart L. Adams Endowed Scholarship, awarded to support those who plan to become teachers. Quilty told her scholarship donor, “People like you inspire me to be the best student I can be.”
As a senior, Quilty completed her student teaching virtually. She taught fourth graders at Madison Elementary in Lombard, Illinois. “This was definitely not the student teaching experience I expected and was challenged in many ways,” she said, “but, it did pave the way for my first teaching job.”
Quilty now works as an academic recovery teacher at Hamilton Elementary in Moline, Illinois, where she teaches second-grade students whose academic progress was affected by the pandemic.
When it comes to the scholarship she was awarded, Quilty has expressed much gratitude. She and her family all experienced financial stress caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Receiving the scholarship lifted a financial burden, allowing Quilty to work fewer hours and focus on student teaching while finishing her degree.
Quilty has been inspired by the generosity of her scholarship donor. “I hope that one day I will become successful enough to give back to students working hard to make a difference,” she said.
