Two Purdue students receive NAAE scholarships

By:Katherine Kuykendall
Nicole Fitzsimmons and Aaron McKim, both Purdue Agricultural Education students, have received scholarships from the National Association of Agricultural Educators (NAAE) to help fund their student teaching expenses.

Nicole Fitzsimmons, a senior in Agricultural Communication from Columbus, Ind., will be student teaching at Adams Central High School in Monroe, Ind., under Mike Jones. She will be teaching Ag Mechanics, Fundamentals of Agriculture, Woodworking, and a seventh grade Agriculture class. Fitzsimmons says that the scholarship will assist her costs while student teaching, including fuel for her commute.

"It was an honor to receive a scholarship from the National Association of Ag Educators," said Fitzsimmons.

Aaron McKim, a senior in Agricultural Education from Lanesville, Ind., will do his student teaching at Hagerstown High School in Hagerstown, Ind. He will be working with Don Sturgeon and will be teaching Welding, Natural Resource Management, Food Science, Horticulture, Landscape Management, and Fundamentals of Agriculture. His students will range from eighth grade to seniors in high school.

McKim said that he is happy to represent Purdue’s Agricultural Education program with Fitzsimmons, and is excited to begin student teaching this spring

"I aspire to have a positive impact on my students lives just as these individuals have positively impacted my life," said McKim.

The NAAE awards 15 scholarships every year for $750 each to Agricultural Education students that are completing their student teaching during the current school year. There is a maximum of three applicants selected to apply for the scholarship from each institution.

The scholarship is awarded based upon the applicants academic, service, and leadership record and includes letters of support from a university faculty member and a state education leader or FFA advisor. YDAE students from Purdue have been awarded scholarships in four of the last five years.