Two Windham residents receive STEM scholarships at Saint Joseph College

Alia Bradley

Two Windham residents have been announced as recipients of the new Growing Future STEM Teachers in Maine Noyce scholarships at Saint Joseph College in Standish.

Juniors Alia Bradley and Taelor Freeman, both of Windham, were among six students at Saint Joseph College to be awarded the $25,000 scholarship for the 2020-2021 school year in support of their studies in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) and secondary education.

“Saint Joseph’s College is deeply committed to educating the next generation of STEM teachers for Maine schools,” Saint Joseph College President Jim Dlugos said. “STEM education remains the foundation and the number-one priority for training Maine’s future skilled and educated workforce. By working with SMCC and schools across Maine, this project promises to draw more students into STEM-Ed degrees, provide teacher training with diverse populations, and plant seeds with current high school and middle school students to become future STEM teachers.”

According to Dlugos, scholarship recipients will attend conferences, participate in field experiences, and hear from experts as part of a new deep-dive seminar series. Additionally, they will receive induction support and professional development upon starting their careers in math and science classrooms in high-need school districts.

He said that the Growing Future STEM Teachers in Maine Noyce scholarships project was designed to increase the number of secondary STEM teachers in an era when nearly a third of Maine teachers are 55 years old and nearing retirement, and to address the decades-old shortage of STEM teachers in Maine. The program encourages students from high-need school districts to return to their communities as teachers and leaders of the next generation of science and math educators.

Taelor Freeman

“Teaching STEM is more than preparing the next generation of professionals. It is about sharing the wonder and awe that is the natural world, while connecting natural phenomena to our everyday lives,” Bradley said.

She is transferring to Saint Joseph College from Southern Maine Community College in South Portland to complete her Biology and Secondary Education degree.

“Studying life and being alive has taken on a whole new meaning for me. Teaching STEM is more than preparing the next generation of professionals,” Bradley said. “It is about sharing the wonder and awe that is the natural world, while connecting natural phenomena to our everyday lives. I hope to empower my students with the knowledge of the natural system, so they make informed decisions as it concerns their personal health, behavior, and local environment.”

Bradley, a 2007 graduate of Windham High School, said she’s looking forward to meeting other peers in the STEM network and discussing ideas that will help them to develop professionally. She loves to spend time outdoors and, in the future, she hopes to have an opportunity to mentor students in research programs and science fairs.

Freeman, a Math and Secondary Education major at Saint Joseph College, said that the scholarship will assist her in preparing to give back to her community through teaching.

“I want to be a STEM teacher because I not only enjoy math, but I like helping others with it as well,” Freeman said. “I love seeing the moment it makes sense to someone and that I helped in that process.”

She said that the scholarship will provide her the opportunity to develop her teaching skills and to apply them in future experiences through the Growing Future STEM Teachers in Maine Noyce program.

Freeman is a 2018 graduate of Windham High School. <