Alumna establishes scholarship to assist education majors

Students studying education-related majors at Northwest Missouri State University have another opportunity to receive financial support toward their degree program through the generosity of a University alumna. 

Cindy Wolfe, a 1988 graduate of Northwest, recently established an endowed scholarship, the Cindy Wolfe Education Scholarship, which is open to sophomores, juniors and seniors who are enrolled full-time at Northwest and have declared a major in education. Recipients also must be from Iowa, Kansas or Nebraska and have a GPA between 2.75 and 3.5.

“This scholarship is so vital because it provides much-needed support for students nearing graduation while they likely have numerous important clinical field experiences to practice their craft,” Dr. Tim Wall, the dean of Northwest’s School of Education, said. “Teaching, while a well-respected profession, is not the most lucrative field. The Wolfe scholarship will offset costs and possibly reduce loan debt for many students. We are so grateful for this generous gift.”

Wolfe said she hopes the scholarship assists students who have a passion for entering the education field and may not benefit from the financial assistance awarded to first-year students, particularly those who come from surrounding states.

“I wanted to give back to Northwest because I felt like I got an excellent education there and, being from a small town in Kansas, I wanted to find something for students in states around Missouri to encourage them,” Wolfe said.

A native of Hiawatha, Kansas, Wolfe was attracted to Northwest for its education programming, which prepares students to become effective teachers and leaders in pre-kindergarten through grade 12. The Northwest School of Education’s nationally-accredited programs are founded on innovative, profession-based clinical experiences in diverse school settings.

In addition to playing with the Bearcat softball team for three years, Wolfe focused on preparing herself to become a secondary education teacher with specializations in physical education and mathematics.

After completing her bachelor’s degree at Northwest, Wolfe taught a variety of age groups during a career of nearly 20 years in Missouri and Texas. Her career spanned teaching elementary physical education to teaching senior citizens while she coordinated a college intramural program, in addition to substitute teaching.

“It totally prepared me,” she said as she reflected on the education she received at Northwest. “Even before we did student teaching, we were out in the classroom quite a bit. It prepared you for what was going to go on in the classroom.”

Now retired from teaching, Wolfe’s advice for students entering the field is to stick with what they enjoy doing.

“If it’s what you love to do, it’s worth it,” she said.

The Cindy Wolfe Education Scholarship is an endowed scholarship that will be awarded in perpetuity and remains open to accept future contributions from other donors. To contribute to the scholarship or give to Northwest in other ways, visit www.nwmissouri.edu/foundation/ or contact Northwest’s Office of University Advancement at 660.562.1248.