Education major receives scholarship
Ashley Marie Houser, a rising senior at Southern Wesleyan University, has been selected as the recipient of the 2005-06 Clariant Corporation Scholarship.
A Southern Wesleyan University education major has support in her effort to teach science and math.
Ashley Marie Houser, a rising senior at Southern Wesleyan University, has been selected as the recipient of the 2005-06 Clariant Corporation Scholarship. Clariant Corporation, headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., is the North American arm of Swiss-based Clariant Ltd., one of the world’s leading makers of specialty chemicals.
Houser, of Denver, N.C., is a biology education major with a cumulative collegiate grade point average of 3.9563. She said she looks forward to her role as a teacher.
“Along with encouraging mental growth and development, I would be able to facilitate young people’s spiritual and emotional growth through teaching,” Houser said. “Through science, it is possible to open the windows of young people’s minds to the unfathomable complexities of the universe.”
Dr. Fred Woodworth, division chair of Southern Wesleyan University’s Education Department, characterizes Houser as a talented musician, a dedicated student and a promising teacher.
“In everything that Miss Houser does, she performs with diligence which has resulted in quality performance,” Woodworth said. “In a recent oral presentation to members of the school of education, Miss Houser enthusiastically affirmed her strong desire to influence young people in her capacity as a teacher.”
The $2,000 scholarship is awarded to a rising senior majoring in education and desiring to teach science or math. Applicants must reside in North or South Carolina; have a cumulative collegiate grade point average of at least 3.0; and write an essay to accompany their application explaining why he or she desires to teach and why he or she wishes to teach in science or math in particular.
Clariant has provided scholarships annually since 2000 through South Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities (SCICU). Recipients are chosen from a pool of qualified applicants from SCICU's 20 member institutions.
Clariant Corporation spokesperson Connie Knight said the company initiated the scholarships “because, as a chemistry-based company, we know science and math are vital to the invention of products that will solve tomorrow’s problems. We must have teachers in the classroom that can ignite wonder and inspire investigation and discovery in their students. This scholarship is our effort to encourage prospective teachers who show extraordinary promise and the ability to make learning typically feared subjects enjoyable and exciting.”
SCICU was established in 1953 to promote the cause of independent higher education in South Carolina. Today, SCICU comprises 20 private institutions located throughout the state in pastoral communities, small towns and urban settings.
These colleges and universities serve the needs of more than 32,500 students. Five of the member colleges are historically black institutions and two are women’s colleges. Several SCICU schools rank among the Southeast’s top liberal arts colleges.