Ashley Caceres

My cousins and I would all go to my grandmother’s house after school and work on homework together. I enjoyed helping them with their homework and seeing the lightbulb go off in their head when something clicked.

I decided to major in Elementary Education when I started at Montgomery College (MC). During my Special Education class, we had a Towson representative from the Universities at Shady Grove (USG) come in and talk to us. I distinctly remember her saying that the program is super competitive and allows only 20 students in per year. She also said that all of the student teaching internships would be in Montgomery County Public Schools.

My husband had just been accepted into the Criminology and Criminal Justice program with the University of Maryland, College Park at USG. He attended an information session and let me tag along. After the session, I was determined to attend Towson at USG! I knew that the Elementary Education/Special Education program (EESE) at USG was perfect for me. Being so close to home and having a small cohort was exactly what I was looking for.

I was thrilled when I found out that I was accepted into the program, but I needed to find a way to pay for classes. I found out about the Camille and Clifford Kendall Endowed Scholarship at USG. I applied, and soon after I was asked to come in for in-person interview.

My excitement started to wane the more time that passed. Knowing that I didn’t have the money to pay for school, I was scared that I was going to have to drop out. The next day, I was walking to class when I received the call that changed my life. I had been awarded the scholarship, and it not only covered my tuition for the next two years at USG, but it also provided me with a mentor that works in my program!

The EESE program has helped me tremendously with preparing for my career. In my first semester, I had the chance to intern in a first-grade classroom for their reading class. Currently, I have two student teaching internships. One is in a science class where we prepare science lessons every week. The other internship is in a math class where we can observe and interact with students throughout the class. With my scholarship mentor program, I network and meet others in different programs besides my own. The mentor program also gave me the chance to volunteer for Campus Kitchens on campus!

My career goal after I graduate is to find a teaching job in Montgomery County. Once I secure a job, I hope to continue my own education and earn a master's degree through Towson University.