Rowson gets LIFT from Salina Education Foundation

Thank you to the Salina Education Foundation for providing the following release.

MEDIA CONTACT: Pam McIntyre, Executive Director, Salina Education Foundation, 785-309-4729

April 4, 2006

The Salina Education Foundation is thrilled to introduce Kaysie Rowson as the first loan recipient under our new "grow your own teacher program that we call LIFT. Kaysie is a 2004 graduate of Salina High School South, graduating number one in her class of 231 students. She is currently a junior at Kansas Wesleyan University, where she's majoring in elementary education with a minor in mathematics. She'll be certified to teach math at the middle school level. Kaysie is the daughter of Virginia and Bill Rowson, 825 Scott Avenue, Salina.

Kaysie was one of 14 exceptional applicants in this first year of the LIFT program. She was chosen based upon her outstanding academic record, essay, references, and personal interview.

Kaysie says her teachers are her inspiration to make education her career. In her application essay, she wrote, "I believe that teaching can be a very rewarding job, and my teachers instilled a love of learning in me that I want to pass on to the next generation. Teaching is my lifelong dream and no matter how I get there, I know that I will love the opportunities each day brings."

As funding for the LIFT program grows, so will the number of loans that can be made in any given year. "We all feel like Kaysie is the perfect first candidate for the LIFT program," said Pam McIntyre, Executive Director of the Salina Education Foundation, in reference to the selection committee that chose Kaysie as the first loan recipient. "She is delightful and we are all positive she will be an extraordinary teacher."

LIFT is an acronym for Loan Initiative for Future Teachers. Under the program, talented students from Saline County compete for renewable loans of up to $5,000 a year to help with their college expenses. In exchange, the students agree to obtain a teaching degree and to teach in USD 305. If they're not hired to teach in Salina, they may seek teaching positions in any of the other school districts in Saline County. One year of the loan is forgiven for each year they teach in Salina or Saline County.

The Salina Education Foundation believes that the LIFT program is vital to the future of Salina's public schools. It's already difficult to fill teaching positions in subjects like math, science, and special education, and becoming more so. In addition, statistics indicate that fewer students are studying to become teachers. What's more, 208 teachers and 45 administrators in Salina alone will be eligible for retirement by the 2008-2009 school year. The LIFT program is designed to help address this imminent teacher shortage by nurturing local students with an interest in teaching, and giving them a strong financial incentive to begin their teaching careers right here at home.

Applications for the LIFT program are due January 31 each year. The applications can be found online at www.salinaeducationfoundation.com.