Kelsi Adey, of Houston, is a new member of the Ozarks Teacher Corps (OTC) scholarship program, which will provide a $4,000, two-year renewable scholarship in return for her commitment to teach in a rural district following her graduation from Drury University.
Adey, who is studying elementary education at Drury, was one of nine college students awarded scholarships in the new OTC group recognized this spring at the Rural Schools Rendezvous in Willow Springs. In return for the scholarships, which cover their junior and senior years, the students commit to teaching for at least three years in a rural school. The students also will serve as teacher interns and explore rural education issues as part of their studies.
“As a future rural educator, I hope to be proactive and strengthen the bond between rural schools and the community,” Adey said. “I want to teach in a rural school, especially my hometown, because I value the close-knit relationships of the community and the people that live there.”
The Ozarks Teacher Corps scholarships are made possible by the Chesley and Flora Lee Wallis Scholarship Fund, created by donors committed to ensuring advanced education for Ozarks students. The fund supports students involved in the Rural Schools Partnership, an initiative of the Community Foundation of the Ozarks dedicated to strengthening rural schools as anchors of their communities.
The OTC was established in 2010 with its first group of recipients. Since then, more than 90-percent of the students who began the program have been successfully placed as teachers in rural Ozarks school districts. OTC students meet as a group several times a year for field experiences and training opportunities.