Erica M. Berry

2012 American Fidelity Assurance Company Scholarship

Erica Berry is a graduate of Malden High School, Malden, Missouri.  She is currently attending Southeast Missouri State University – Cape Girardeau, Missouri, majoring in Middle School Education.

Erica shares: Malden, a small rural community in the Missouri Bootheel is what I call home.  I love the rural communities because they remind me of a close knit family, with everyone knowing and relying on one another and they pull together when thing get tough.  Rural schools need teachers that are willing to stay.  In addition to wanting to work and live in a rural area, it also takes a passion to reach the students in small communities.  I also believe it is important for me to pass on to the coming generations what was given to me, an education and a road to a bright future.  From experience as a substitute, I know the true joys of teaching in areas like this.

Having successfully demonstrated her awareness of different learning styles and the ability to adjust assignments to meet the varied needs of students, her units are thoroughly prepared and implemented, as related by one of her college instructors.  Erica has a great rapport with the students, always ready with a smile and a kind word.  Another instructor shares that Erica is highly organized and excels in prioritization.  A multi-tasker that is able to manage his continuing education along with the unique demands of her personal life, all the while maintaining the highest performance standards in both areas.

Possessing a personality that any young person can admire and should mimic, we extend congratulations to Erica Berry as the 2012 American Fidelity Assurance Company Scholarship.