Family Support Network of Eastern North Carolina

The Board of Directors and staff of the Family Support Network of Eastern North Carolina offers congratulations to Lorenda Schantz who is the recipient of the 2012 Angel Boberg-Webb Memorial Scholarship for senior college students who plan to teach children with special needs.

Lorenda is a fifth year senior at East Carolina University, majoring in Special Education with a subspecialty in adaptive curriculum. Lorenda explained in our July 24th interview that her experience with a close friend and her young child influenced her career choice. Her friend’s child was born with a serious medical illness that required multiple interventions and a host of medical professionals. As a close friend she saw what dedication and advocacy it took to parent a child with these needs. Lorenda also saw what a positive impact the child made on so many others. This experience convinced Lorenda that she wanted to work with children and her calling was teaching. So, she changed her major from business to a dream of becoming a Special Education Teacher while at Cape Fear Community College in Wilmington. Then, in 2011 she came to East Carolina University to pursue her special education degree. While completing her studies she has had practicum assignments in various classrooms. Of all these experiences Lorenda has especially enjoyed working with children/teens with autism. In 2011 she worked at Northwest Elementary School in Pitt County in a kindergarten-2nd grade classroom for children with autism. She describes learning behavioral techniques that would help them be more successful students and peers. Lorenda also valued her mentor’s use of a blend of both group and individual interventions in the classroom to help each student reach their potential.

Lorenda has already received her classroom placement for 2012. She will be working at Eastern Elementary School in Washington, NC. She will be working with children with autism from preschool age through first grade. She is excited about this new opportunity to further develop her teaching skills.

Volunteering has been one of Lorenda’s passions. She has served as the fundraising chair for the ECU Student Council for Exceptional Children, volunteered in community events (Special Olympics, Friday Fun Night Events, Holiday Dances) and attended state and national conferences. She also has worked as a lab assistant since May 2012 at the Irene Howell Assisted Technology Center at ECU. At this center she assists with instruction of assistive technology devices, helps with professional development trainings and advises others on managing/operating software and hardware.

Lorenda’s long term goals include teaching children/teens with autism in North Carolina. She wants to learn more about this population and work to further adapt teaching methods to each individual child’s needs. She is also interested in curriculum development and educational policy and is considering pursuing a master’s degree. Lorenda Schantz has a bright future ahead of her and the Family Support Network of Eastern North Carolina is proud to help her continue to pursue her educational goals.

Dr. Kaye McGinty recognizes Kaitlin Bunch as the 2011-2012 Angel Boberg Webb Memorial Scholarship Recipient. Read more about Kaitlyn’s story by clicking here.

Kaitlin Bunch – 2011 Angel Boberg-Webb Memorial Scholarship Recipient

The Board of Directors and staff of the Family Support Network of Eastern North Carolina offers congratulations to Kaitlin Bunch who is the recipient of the 2011 Angel Boberg Webb Memorial Scholarship for senior college students who plan to teach children with special needs.

Kaitlin is a fourth year senior at East Carolina University, majoring in Special Education with a subspecialty in adaptive curriculum. In our interview on April 18, 2011, Kaitlin explained that in middle school she became friends with a peer with special needs who got into fights at school. Kaitlin began to spend time with the peer and talk with her about the fights and many other topics. Kaitlin and the peer became good friends and their relationship was mutually beneficial. Once they transitioned to high school they realized there were many other peers interested in getting to know others and they formed an informal group. Kaitlin remarked that this experience was a valuable personal and learning experience for her. Kaitlin had also had experience with a family member with learning disabilities. Both of these experiences taught Kaitlin about the everyday struggles one may experience and the importance of support from family, friends and community members.

Once Kaitlin started to explore college and future interests she had difficulty because of her many interests. But, one of her high school teachers suggested she consider becoming a teacher. After some soul searching she decided to pursue a degree in education and received the North Carolina Teaching Fellow Scholarship. She decided to attend East Carolina University and began as a science education major. However, she went on a field trip with students from a special education class when she was a freshman and realized that working with children with special needs was her passion.

Kaitlin will begin interning in a public school classroom in the fall of 2011 and continue this experience in the spring of 2012. She is willing to working in any type of special education classroom and hopes that it will be at the middle or high school level.

While going to college Kaitlin has also had the opportunity to work for the ARC of North Carolina as a personal support specialist where she worked with an adult with developmental disabilities for nine months. She reports being very attached to the client and “loving” the work. Due to her educational responsibilities, Kaitlin had to stop working with the client but notes that this experience helped confirm her passion for working with children with special needs.

Kaitlin’s long term goals include teaching in a special needs classroom in North Carolina. She also wants to open a camp/retreat for people with disabilities and their families in Northeastern North Carolina. She describes this as a self-sustaining community which would allow individuals to live and work there. Kaitlin Bunch has a bright future ahead of her and we are confident that she will make a difference in the lives of children with special needs and their families. The Family Support Network of Eastern North Carolina is proud to help her continue to pursue her educational goals.

Kaye McGinty, MD
Board member FSN-ENC