Walsh University senior education major Luke Burt was nationally honored with the prestigious Anne Gayles-Felton Endowed Scholarship from the Association of Teacher Educators, Leadership Foundation of Teacher Educators. An honors student with a double major in history and Adolescent/Young Adult (AYA) Integrated Social Studies, Burt was nominated by his professor Eugenia Johnson-Whitt, Ph.D., and received the award during the ATE Annual Conference in Las Vegas this March.
View a video student spotlight of Luke here.
"I nominated Luke Burt for the ATE award upon learning about his achievements from his advisor, Dr. Michelle Lenarz. After meeting Luke, I was impressed by his ongoing initiative to helping students who are vulnerable or unable to help themselves, just as his father had shown to many students," said Dr. Johnson-Whitt. "I have never, in my 25 years of teaching, encountered a young person so prepared to immediately assume a leadership role to make sure ALL students feel valued."
The Anne Richardson Gayles-Felton Endowed Scholarship is awarded annually to one secondary education undergraduate who shows promise not only as a prospective teacher but as a future teacher educator. The Association of Teacher Educators (ATE) and related foundation, the Leadership Foundation of Teacher Educators (LFTE) administer the scholarship and select the recipient.
"My desire to teach began to develop as I watched my dad, who is a teacher David Hill Elementary in Akron, Ohio. He is in his 28th year of teaching and it has been an honor to watch him. He comes home often with difficult stories of inner city education, but he also has many encouraging stories. He aspires to touch the lives of these students with love, hope, and encouragement," said Burt during his acceptance speech. "When I am a teacher, I hope to emulate his example as I work to affirm students’ purpose, ability, and destiny."
After his graduation from Walsh, Burt plans to teach grades 7-12.
"During these years, students are attempting to establish their identity, skills, and place in life. I want to be a source of stability and support for students in these difficult, yet exciting and important years," said Burt. "I am also a youth leader at my church where I lead twenty to thirty students every Wednesday. This humbling position has allowed me to develop as a leader, an educator, and a mentor for 7-12 grade students."