BALTIMORE, Md. – Notre Dame of Maryland University (NDMU) students preparing to become licensed professional educators can apply for a Hattie M. Strong Scholarship to reduce the financial burden of paying for college. For more than 30 years, the Hattie M. Strong Foundation has supported the educational dreams of NDMU’s teacher interns with a promising future, providing more than $330,000 in scholarships. Students who excel in their degree program and internship are encouraged to apply for the scholarship.
In 2025, the foundation awarded three NDMU students demonstrating excellence in their classrooms with a $5,000 scholarship. The most recent Hattie M. Strong Scholars of the NDMU School of Education – Rebecca Reese ’26, Shanon Brown M’26, and Rachael Reid M’26 – represent the best and brightest in the field of education.
Reese is completing her final semester in NDMU’s bachelor’s degree in elementary education/early childhood education. A pre-kindergarten educator at an early childhood center, she believes teaching fulfills her life’s purpose.
“This scholarship is so important to my future in many ways. I was put on Earth by God to be a teacher – I know there is no other route for me,” Reese said. “Being able to make a difference in children’s lives is what brings me the greatest joy of my life.”
For Brown, she is pursuing a Master of Arts in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) after developing a passion for multilingual learners. As an undergraduate student, she served as a TESOL tutor for high school students.
“I am pursuing this career because I want multilingual learners to feel seen, supported, and capable of success,” Brown said. “This scholarship is essential because it will ease my financial burden and allow me to complete my training without interruption, bringing me one step closer to becoming the educator my students deserve.”
Reid serves as a home management teacher for special education students at a local high school. She believes in the “importance of individualized, hands-on instruction that meets students where they are.” She credits the Hattie M. Strong Scholarship for enabling her to complete her Master of Arts in Leadership in Special Education at NDMU.
“This scholarship is especially important to me because it will allow me to continue developing my skills as a compassionate and skilled special educator,” Reid said. “I am pursuing a career in special education because I am passionate about empowering students with various learning needs to reach their full potential.”
Established in 1895, Notre Dame of Maryland University (NDMU) is a private, Catholic institution in Baltimore, Maryland, with the mission to educate leaders to transform the world. Notre Dame has been named one of the best "Regional Universities North" by U.S. News & World Report.