At Social Work Degree Guide, it's our pleasure to announce the first 2015 Social Work Scholarship Winner selected by our committee. A $2,000 scholarship has been presented to Jacqueline Botterweck, who will use the funding to continue working for her Master of Social Work (MSW) degree from Aurora University in Illinois. Along with her perfect 4.0 GPA, Jacqueline greatly impressed our team with her wide array of educational and professional experiences focused in helping youth achieve their fullest potential.
Changing Lives One Child at a Time
After graduating Summa Cum Laude from North Central College with a bachelor's degree in elementary education, Jacqueline held several different jobs in the education field. She worked one-on-one as a teaching assistant with students with mental and physical disabilities. She also worked as an instructional aide in a fifth grade classroom and as family support staff for a young boy with Down syndrome. While rewarding, she discovered that education wasn't her forte and that she wished to expand beyond the academic realm of child development.
During the next two years, Jacqueline worked as a youth care worker in a group home for boys between the ages of 13 and 18 years old. She saw firsthand the impact that death, divorce, mental illness, and addiction have on children. Seeing the pain in the boys' faces, she made the decision to pursue her master's degree in social work to become better equipped in helping youth work through life's challenges. Jacqueline is successfully completing her first year of graduate school while continuing to work part-time as a preschool teacher.
We're honored to gift the $2,000 Social Work Scholarship to such a hard-working, dedicated, and compassionate young woman. Our committee strongly believes that Jacqueline Botterweck will put the financial support to great use in affording her social work training and continuing to make a difference. We applaud her commitment to working with disadvantaged children and wish her the brightest future in the social work profession. Congratulations, Jacqueline!
Could You Be Next?
If you'd like to share your own story on how you're positively impacting the well-being of others and leaving a lasting mark on the social work field, we encourage you to learn more about the Social Work Degree Guide Scholarship. Don't miss your opportunity to become the next recipient and receive helpful financial funding to cut your social work degree's cost. Please check back often for updates and send in your application for our next scholarship cycle.