Wood Math Education Scholarship Established with Family Endowment Gift
JONESBORO – The family of the late Norma Moore Wood of Gainesville, Fla., has established a scholarship endowment at Arkansas State University for the benefit of aspiring teachers of mathematics.
Jack Wood, her husband, and family are establishing the scholarship program as a tribute to his wife's dedication and success in the classroom, from which she retired in 2000.
They have provided an endowment gift of $47,000, plus a scholarship of $3,000 for the first-year award, while the endowment builds in value, for a total gift of $50,000.
The family was very clear about their motive for the gift, according to Brenda Schildberg, the couple's daughter.
“My mother was a long-time high school mathematics teacher at Eastside High School in Gainesville,” Schildberg explained. “She understood the challenges of teaching, and our family wanted to be able to bless future secondary math education majors with a scholarship.”
She said her mother, a native of Marianna, was proud to be an A-State graduate and spoke very highly of her university experience, so they knew she would have supported their intention to assist others with achieving success and earning a degree.
Mrs. Wood earned a Bachelor of Science in Education degree in mathematics education at A-State, where she also was named to Who’s Who Among Students in American Colleges and Universities.
“Unfortunately, teaching is not a highly paid profession and there is such a critical need for math teachers,” she added, “so we wanted to carry on the legacy of my mother’s love of teaching math by providing a scholarship.”
Applicants for the Norma Moore Wood Math Education Scholarship must be full-time, upper-level students with a minimum 3.25 GPA seeking the Bachelor of Science in Education in mathematics, and must demonstrate need for financial assistance. The award may be renewed, provided award criteria are maintained.
The Wood Scholarship recipient will be selected by the College of Sciences and Mathematics Scholarship Committee. Additional information about this and other scholarship programs in the college is available by contacting the interim dean, Dr. Jennifer Bouldin, jbouldin@AState.edu.
