Georgia Southern alumna, student receive awards
The JBQ Charitable Foundation awards Georgia Southern Master’s Graduate first JBQ Honorarium The JBQ Charitable Foundation has awarded the first JBQ Honorarium to Georgia Southern University alumna, Talmeshia Parker (‘16). The JBQ Charitable Foundation is a non-profit foundation committed to the development of programs in Peru for educators and pre-service educators in collaboration with universities based in the United States of America and Peru. Parker, who is a graduate of the Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) Program, currently teaches English Language Arts to eighth-grade students at Langston Chapel Middle School in Statesboro. As the honorarium recipient, she will accompany Aerin Benavides, president of JBQ, on a five- to six-week trip to Peru, for which all expenses are paid by the award. She will be expected to evaluate ways to boost English-language literacy in Ica, Peru, as well as assess areas to build capacity at the indigenous community schools in the high Andes where access to education, teaching materials and professionals is limited due to their remote location. "I am honestly on an emotional high after being afforded this opportunity to work alongside elite professionals with the JBQ Charitable Foundation to build English literacy in Peru,” said Parker. Parker will meet with government officials, tour schools, observe classes and design professional development resources for Peruvian teachers. Since she represents both populations, Parker will think of ways to involve university students and/or U.S. teachers. “When other people think so highly of your work ethic and professionalism to recommend you for such a rewarding experience, it proves that you are exactly where you need to be,” she said. “I'm excited to be touring the schools in Peru and gaining real-life insight on how their educational system runs, what resources are available to them, and most importantly how I can help them achieve the goal of increasing English literacy for their society. “As a recent graduate of Georgia Southern's MAT program, I have learned that an equitable educational experience should be provided for all students no matter their socioeconomic status, ethnic background or academic ability,” Parker continued. “As teachers, we are service workers to the community and I am thrilled to solicit that service to other nations." Helen Ryan Collins Memorial Scholarship awarded to Rachel Dagget Rachel Dagget was named the inaugural recipient of the Helen Ryan Collins Memorial Scholarship in Irish Studies by the Center for Irish Research and Teaching. The Helen Ryan Collins Memorial Scholarship will be awarded to a student each year who is recommended by a faculty member, has a passion for Irish culture, is in good academic standing and has a financial need. It was endowed by Tom Collins and his family to honor the memory of his mother. Director of the Center for Irish Research and Teaching, Howard Keeley, Ph.D., said, “She truly meets the criteria of the scholarship. She is a conscientious worker who is delightful to interact with.” Dagget is minoring in Irish Studies while pursuing a double major in English and writing and linguistics.Posted in My News, Reward & Recognition, Students