Stephanie Patterson '25

The Watson College is pleased to announce that Stephanie Patterson ’25 has received a fall 2025 Hattie M. Strong Scholarship. Stephanie is from Indian Trail, North Carolina. She will graduate in December with a degree in Elementary Education.

Stephanie said her experiences teaching children gymnastics led her to pursue a teaching career.

“I chose to become a teacher because I have been teaching gymnastics since I was fifteen and wanted to continue working with children,” she said. “I also want to make a positive impact on my students' lives the same way my teachers did for me growing up.”

She chose UNCW’s Watson College of Education because of its strong reputation for preparing future educators.

“I heard Watson had a great program, and I wanted to go to a school that I knew would set me up for success as a teacher,” she said. “I feel fully prepared for my teaching career because of Watson. My professors have always been so supportive and are more than willing to go the extra mile for their students. I feel like my courses and field experiences through Watson have set me up for success in my career and have provided me with a ton of helpful experiences that I will take with me after I graduate.”

Stephanie is currently completing her student teaching internship in a fourth-grade classroom at Pine Valley Elementary School, and said she was pleased to receive a scholarship during her final semester.

“I am super grateful for the Hattie M. Strong scholarship,” she said. “It has been so helpful this semester and has allowed me to fully focus on my internship without additional stress.”

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 ease financial pressures during the full-time student teaching semester.

The Watson College of Education became a Hattie M. Strong Foundation partner in 2013, joining a select group of institutions across the country. Through the partnership, WCE awarded two $5,000 scholarships to teacher interns for the Fall 2025 semester.