Ashley Swisher-Arnold '24

The Watson College is pleased to announce that Ashley Swisher-Arnold ’24 has received a fall 2024 Hattie M. Strong Scholarship. She will graduate in December with a degree in Elementary Education

Ashley was born in Grafton, West Virginia but moved to Newport, North Carolina at a young age. She said she always wanted to be a teacher but was sidetracked by getting married and having two young daughters. When her youngest began school, she decided to return to school too.

Ashley began work as an Interventionist Assistant at Morehead City Primary School, earned an associate degree in Teacher Preparation from Carteret Community College in 2023, and enrolled in the Elementary Education Extension program at Watson.

“I felt that working with students to help them find a passion for learning was where I needed to be,” she said. “UNCW offered the flexibility and support I needed to complete the program while working in the school system full-time. My advisor, Dr. Keryn Vickers, has always been reachable to help me figure out the best path for me, and the professors were always quick to reply to my questions or provide guidance when needed.”

“Watson’s elementary education program allowed me the ability to explore various subjects and grade levels rather than requiring me to focus on one thing,” she added. “I’ve been prepared through hands-on, active learning opportunities, and constantly interacting with my peers, professors, and students throughout the program, have made me more comfortable with having my own classroom.”

During her final semester, Ashley is completing an internship at Bogue Sound Elementary School in Carteret County.

“My partnership teacher, Danielle Canady, is the Teacher of the Year for the 2024-2025 school year at Bogue Sound and has been the BEST mentor,” she said. “I also completed the edTPA with the support from the team at UNCW, and they were amazing! This was a stressful situation, but with their willingness to answer questions, I feel it was as smooth as possible.”

Ashley said the Hattie M. Strong Scholarship came at the perfect time.

“The Hattie M. Strong scholarship was a blessing for me,” she said. “The internship is such a stressful time where you’re working full-time but unable to support yourself traditionally. This scholarship meant that I didn’t have to pick up extra hours at my part-time job and that I could devote myself fully to my students to ensure they had the best teacher I could be.”

When she’s not working or completing internship requirements, Ashley loves to read, go to the beach, and spend time with her family!

About the Hattie M. Strong Scholarship Awards

The Hattie M. Strong Foundation has helped aspiring students achieve a college degree since 1928. Today, HMSF’s primary activity is to provide scholarships for students enrolled in teacher training programs at partnering institutions to help reduce financial pressure during the student internship semester, when a student’s ability to offset expenses with outside employment is curtailed by the rigor of full-time work in the classroom.

The Watson College joined a select group of institutions as a Hattie M. Strong Foundation partner in 2013. This valuable partnership enabled the College to award two $5,000 Hattie M. Strong scholarships to WCE interns for the fall 2024 semester.