Kayla, a junior from Schaumburg, Illinois, is majoring in Middle Grades Education: Mathematics with an ESL endorsement in the College of Education.
With Illini alumni in her family, Kayla was drawn to the University of Illinois for its community and top-ranked education programs. Outside the classroom, she plays on the water polo club team, volunteers at her church, and works as an inclusion aide for children. Kayla also enjoys teaching online to international middle school students through the IGlobal program. Upon graduation, she aims to make a difference as a Golden Apple Scholar, teaching in low-income school districts.
"Mr. and Mrs. Prickett, my sincere gratitude for your generous support for future educators," Kayla writes. "I am honored to receive your scholarship and so excited about the future! This scholarship allows me to focus entirely on my pursuit to be an impactful teacher and leader, and worry less about the financial aspects of college. More importantly, the scholarship provides connections to a greater community of educators and options to pursue other learning opportunities like studying abroad."
Daniel ('69 Media) and Nancy ('69 Education) created an unrestricted scholarship in the College of Education to reduce the financial hardship of an Illinois degree. If you want to support this scholarship or create similar opportunities for students, faculty, research, and programs, please email the College's or visit our .