JOAN S. BISSELL MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP

Established in memory of Dr. Joan S. Bissell, former director in the California State University’s Department of Educator Preparation and Public School Programs, for her leadership and dedication in ensuring a diverse and high-quality educator workforce. Dr. Bissell supported systemwide initiatives and programs, including the Ed.D. program in Educational Leadership, the Math and Science Teacher Initiative (MSTI), the Integrated Teacher Education Programs (ITEP)and the New Generations of Educators Initiative (NGEI). The funds support scholarships for mathematics or science teacher education candidates who commit to work in high needs schools.

The scholarship recognizes candidates who demonstrate a financial need and have attributes of merit, including excellent academic performance, significant personal achievements and community service after verification of full-time enrollment status at a CSU campus.

Applicants must:

• Be currently enrolled in an approved CSU residency program during the academic year 2021-2022 (fall and/or spring terms).
• Demonstrate financial need by Submit a FAFSA for the upcoming academic year.
• Be in good academic standing.
• Demonstrate a belief in the ability of all children to succeed and in the centrality of a teacher’s role in this success.
• Agree to at least two years of teaching in a high-need school after finishing the program.
• Personal statement (explaining the need for the scholarship and motivation for wanting to teach, and in particular in a high-need school – two-page maximum);
• Unofficial transcript(s);
• Letter of endorsement indicating why the applicant is deserving of the scholarship.