Savannah Everhart, Spring 2024 Hattie M. Strong Scholarship Recipient

Savannah Everhart is from Lexington, North Carolina. She attended East Carolina University where she majored in University Studies with a concentration in Educational Services. As an ECU student, Savannah worked as a daycare teacher, and later became an assistant teacher for elementary classrooms and an adapted exceptional children's middle school. After earning her bachelor’s degree in 2022, she began to teach in her own classroom under a residency license. She is currently a fourth grade teacher and a student in the MAT in Elementary Education program at the Watson College.

Savannah said teaching was a natural career choice because she has always loved school.

“I grew up ‘teaching’ my brother the many things that I learned in school,” she said. “I loved helping him with homework each afternoon when he was finally old enough to go to school himself. I found security in the routines and structure that school provided. I enjoyed the ability to learn from others and share socially. I created connections within classrooms and made lifelong friends. I met my teachers, who became my coaches, and now, coworkers. I wanted to share my love for education and learning with children within my community.”

“Watson helped me to prepare for teaching in many ways,” she continued. “The professors at Watson made me think outside of my typical lens when observing trends in student work and data. Throughout my time at Watson, I noticed that there was a lot of repetition across courses, which created habits within my lesson planning and organizational skills. Watson also taught me that my voice matters. I have learned not only how to be an effective teacher, but also how to be a kind human being in a world that is filled with chaos and change.”

Savannah said she is grateful to have received a Hattie Strong Scholarship during her final semester.

“The Hattie M. Strong scholarship provided me with the ability to finish graduate school without the worry of tuition costs during the spring semester,” she said. “When entering education, the final spring semester seems to be a worry for everyone as we try to wrap up things and move into the next phase, all while trying to remain financially stable. This scholarship provided me an ease to that worry.”

Savannah looks forward to continuing her career in education after she graduates in May.

“I would like to continue teaching fourth grade for a while,” she said. “However, I am currently considering returning to college within the next few years to earn a curriculum and instruction licensure or administrative licensure. I want to help students and other teachers in the future and share my passion with them.”