Salina Education Foundation
The Salina Education Foundation has selected its 2023 Loan Initiative for Future Teachers (LIFT) recipients.
The following six recipients were selected from a pool of 13 applicants by a committee consisting of Salina Education Foundation Trustees, USD 305 staff, and community members.
Vanessa Arceo- Vanessa is a senior at South High School. She plans to attend Kansas Wesleyan University or Fort Hays State University and major in music education. Vanessa is bilingual in English and Spanish. She plays the violin for the Kansas Wesleyan University orchestra and the Salina Youth Symphony. Her hope is to bring people together through music.
Isaac French- Isaac is a graduate of Central High School and attends Kansas State University, where he is vice president of West Hall. He is majoring in secondary education and plans to teach social studies. Isaac wishes to create a safe place for his students to learn and develop through an understanding of the past.
Grace Hilbert-Grace is a graduate of South High School and Hutchinson Community College. She attends Wichita State University while working as an instructional assistant at Heusner Elementary School. Grace is studying elementary education. She enjoys working with children with disabilities and volunteers with her mother at “Night to Shine”, an organization that provides a prom for people with disabilities. Grace hopes to show her students that they are special.
Sara Orr- Sara is a graduate of South High School and attends Fort Hays State University, majoring in secondary education. Since 2016, Sara has worked at South High School as a para-educator and instructional assistant. Sara said that her co-workers and mentors have been a tremendous help to her. She enjoys advocating for her students’ voices to be heard.
Aubrey Powell-Aubrey is a senior at South High School. She plans to attend Butler Community College and study secondary education with a focus in mathematics. Aubrey said that her passion for math education began in middle school while doing pre-algebra. Finding slope and using Pythagorean Theorem was a highlight of her days as a middle school student.
Alaina Yianakopulos-Alaina is a graduate of Southeast of Saline High School and attends Emporia State University. She is majoring in elementary education with an emphasis in special education. Alaina shared that her experience working with a child with Down Syndrome was an incredible experience and helped shape her desire to study special education. Alaina says she believes she can help the world by bettering the lives of those kids who don’t get the same opportunities as the rest of us.
LIFT recipients receive up to $5,000 in forgivable loans, renewable annually after completion of their freshman year in college. Upon becoming certified teachers, they are eligible for hire to teach in USD 305 schools. Loans are forgivable for each year they teach in Salina public schools. The LIFT program is supported by charitable donations from individuals, local charitable foundations, and Saline County businesses.
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Salina Education Foundation is governed by a volunteer board of trustees. Established in 1987, it endeavors to promote and support educational excellence by providing resources to enhance opportunities for the students and staff of Salina’s public schools.