The John and Kelley (Gallagher) Joseph ’87 Endowed Scholarship for Elementary Education

(Three $1,000 award annually) The John and Kelley (Gallagher) Joseph ’87 Endowed Scholarship for Elementary Education will be awarded to a full-time undergraduate student pursuing a career in Elementary Education with a focus on literacy. The qualified candidate should have a minimum G.P.A. of 3.0 and has/had a family member dedicated to public education. Candidates should include a brief essay on how that family member inspired the student to pursue a career in education.

As a professional educator for the past 25 years, Kelley (Gallagher) Joseph ’87 knows the value of a strong educational system. She and her husband, John, have established an endowed scholarship to help future Worcester State teachers-in-training use their education to improve the lives of young people, especially in the area of literacy.

“Growing up in a family of eight children, I understand the financial burden paying for college placed on my parents. It gives us great satisfaction knowing that we can ease the burden for another hard-working, motivated, ambitious student,” she says. “We want the recipient to experience the same quality of education the Worcester State provided me.”
Joseph, whose father, Edward Gallagher ’62, M.Ed. ’68, was an educator for more than 30 years, is a literacy specialist in the Nashoba Regional School District. She says her career has been every bit as rewarding as she hoped it would be.
“Even in a world filled with multimedia on sophisticated computers, the educator provides that third dimension in learning, giving both color and perspective to an otherwise flat screen,” she says.

Joseph’s own education at Worcester State prepared her well for her chosen field. “The school offered a nice balance of academics and athletics,” recalls Joseph, who played three years of field hockey. “Most of us commuted, held jobs, and played sports. I have fond memories of my classmates and teammates.”Interacting with faculty was a highlight of her educational experience, she says.

“I received instruction from highly qualified individuals who were always accessible and made it a priority to get to know us,” Joseph recalls. “The learning community was close-knit. I t wasn’t unusual to have coffee or lunch with our professors. They really knew who we were and what we were capable of, and often steered us down paths of success.”

Joseph is a long-time supporter of the WSU Education Department, also donating to the Education Department Professional Development Fund. The fund subsidizes student attendance at professional conferences, workshops, and seminars.