WGU Tennessee, a nonprofit, online university that is part of Governor Bill Haslam’s Drive to 55 effort surprised a Chattanooga Charter School of Excellence (CCSE) teacher with a $10,000 scholarship Monday afternoon.
CCSE English teacher Cassandra Peters learned that she had won WGU Tennessee’s Tenn-K Scholarship during a special ceremony held at the school. Peters was surprised with a commemorative check from WGU Tennessee Chancellor Kimberly K. Estep, Ph.D.
“It’s always special to award a hardworking teacher with our annual Tenn-K Scholarship,” Ms. Estep said. “Cassandra’s hard work and academic achievement are just another great example of the quality of teachers in this state, and I couldn’t be more proud to be a part of the ceremony today.”
Ms. Peters is pursuing her master’s degree in English language learning. She hopes to use her degree to help a growing number of students who are new to the country and learning English as a second language.
“Earning this degree is the only path toward my goal of teaching ELL students,” Ms. Peters said. “I have always had a strong desire not only to teach, but also to be a help to any in need.”
Ms. Peters is one of only seven Tennesseans to earn WGU Tennessee’s 2018 Tenn-K Scholarship this year, but is the second Chattanooga-area teacher to earn the scholarship as part of this year’s campaign.
The scholarship – which covers more than 80 percent of WGU Tennessee’s already-low tuition of $3,500 per term for most programs – is awarded based on students’ academic records, readiness for online study, and demonstrated financial need.