Transforming Future Educators with the Golden Apple Scholars Program
-Mary (Honey) Mathieu ’27
The Golden Apple Scholars Program collaborates with Trinity Christian College to support education students in becoming effective teachers. This partnership offers a range of opportunities, including mentorship, personal development, and financial assistance. Through this program, students can network with peers and explore ways to use their education for the greater good.
Dr. Michael Dieter, Assistant Professor of Education and Liaison for Trinity’s Golden Apple Scholars Program, is a 2004 Golden Apple Scholar. According to Dieter, being a Scholar has been immensely important to him, as it provided the opportunity to take classes with like-minded individuals dedicated to meeting the needs of all students. The program also allowed him to gain valuable hands-on teaching experience during the summer. This offered him an advantage in education courses and field placements due to the additional experiential learning that participants in the program can engage in.
Dieter enjoys serving as a liaison for the program because he knew from the moment he was selected as a Scholar that he wanted to give back to the organization one day. His hope for students in the Golden Apple Scholars Program at Trinity is that they take full advantage of the resources available to them, as teaching is a challenging profession. However, it is through the power of collaboration that great achievements are possible in both the educational system and the world at large.
Ashley Lopez, a current Golden Apple Scholar, is a sophomore at Trinity, majoring in physical education with a minor in education. She chose to pursue her degree at the College for several reasons, including the favorable teacher-to-student classroom ratio, the supportive residential community, and the campus’s proximity to her home. Lopez aspires to be an educator because she believes that teaching is a vital profession. She understands that educators play an essential role in shaping individuals’ lives and greatly admires the career she is pursuing.
Through the Golden Apple Scholarship Program’s summer teaching experience, Lopez had the chance to apply her beginner teaching skills in a real classroom. She is grateful for this opportunity, as it allowed her to enjoy being in a classroom setting and observe a seasoned professional, gaining valuable insights to incorporate into her future teaching approach. She aims to make a positive impact as an educator and wants others to understand that the Golden Apple Scholars Program makes the dream of becoming a teacher possible by providing financial support to scholarship recipients.
This program is significant because it rigorously prepares participants to become exceptional educators by offering numerous teaching experiences and helping those considering the profession understand both the challenges and rewards that lie ahead. Trinity is proud to partner with the Golden Apple Scholars Program to shape the lives of our students and is grateful for the organization and its incredible impact!
