The school year has come to a close and graduating students have walked across the stage to receive their diplomas. This year, several past Council Scholarship recipients were among those graduates, receiving sheepskins from colleges across the country.
We could not be prouder of all our scholarship recipients as they prepare for the next chapter in their lives. We checked back in with a few of our recent scholarship recipients who have now graduated as they prepare to begin their new careers.
Four-time Council Scholarship recipient Grace Caine finished her final semester at UW-Whitewater this spring, earning a degree in Music Education. In the fall, Grace will begin her first professional job in her field, teaching music to kindergarten through third grade students in Fond du Lac.
“I really loved my college experience,” Grace says. “I was able to branch out and work with a lot of great mentors. My saxophone mentor was very supportive in helping me with my vision loss and finding ways to make music more accessible.”
Grace says that she is thankful for the support she received from both the Council and from people on her campus. “The Council has assisted me even outside of the scholarship in finding resources,” Grace says. “Don’t be afraid to reach out to your friends or your professors if you need help. Use any resources possible, and never be embarrassed to ask for accommodations. Enjoy college because it goes by so fast.”
Joseph Tuttle knew from a young age that he wanted to go into agriculture. Joseph graduated from Purdue University in May with a degree in Agriculture Education. He already has big plans as he completes his final internship at Montana State University this summer and begins his first post-graduate job as an Ag teacher in North Dakota in the fall.
“I loved my time at Purdue,” Joseph says. “It was a great experience, especially for education students with so many opportunities to go into classrooms to teach and learn.”
Joseph says that while his immediate future takes him to the Great Plains, he intends to eventually return to Wisconsin to apply what he learned out west to his home state. He advises new scholarship recipients to take advantage of the full college experience and learn to say “Yes.”
“It may sound cliché, but don’t say no to any opportunity,” Joseph says. “I was able to study abroad in Jamaica. I had internships in Nebraska, Montana, and all over the country. And I only got those internships because I said yes when they were offered to me!”
George Tuttle, meanwhile, finished his undergraduate degree in just three years, but he isn’t done yet. After getting a business degree with an emphasis on Physical Therapy (PT) last year, George is now about halfway through his graduate program in PT at Carroll University.
“Going from undergrad to grad school is sort of like going from high school to college again,” George says. “It’s a different sort of environment, but it’s been going really well so far.”
George says that part of his success so far has come from getting involved in a variety of different experiences. “If you want to do something, just go for it,” George says. “I’m visually impaired and in grad school. You can do whatever you want to do–there’s a way to make it work. There are opportunities everywhere, so go out and meet people and say yes to everything. Just go for it!”
Congratulations to all Council Scholarship recipients who have graduated, as you continue to make a difference in your communities and in the world!
