PRESS RELEASE
Brian Lowry
Director of Communication and Public Relations
219-473-4217
blowry@ccsj.edu

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

WHITING, IN, September 12, 2023—Calumet College of St. Joseph (CCSJ) hosted the Northwest Indiana Teachers Scholarship dinner on Saturday night. The dinner recognized 6 full tuition scholarship recipients to CCSJ’s Transition to Teaching program, funding for which is provided equally by The Catholic Diocese of Gary Schools, Big Shoulders Fund Northwest Indiana and the College. CCSJ President Amy McCormack said the scholarship was developed because “we don’t want you to go backward financially as you follow your passion for education forward.”

The scholarship is intended to address the need for qualified educators in the region, recruit and retain Catholic school teachers, and provide ongoing mentoring and support for those already in the classroom. Recipients of the scholarship commit to teaching for 3 years at a Big Shoulders-funded Catholic school. Diocesan Superintendent Colleen Brewer expressed her gratitude for the students in the program and called upon the future educators to “share all the joys and miracles” that being a teacher provides.

Scholarships were received by Jillian Borozan, Anastacia Gomez, Isaac Kendall, Tyrah Kohut, Pollyanna Lopez and Araceli Martinez.

The CCSJ Transition to Teaching program is open to anyone with a bachelor’s degree who is interested in becoming an elementary or high school teacher. Depending on the certification sought, the program takes 2 or 3 semesters to become a fully licensed teacher. Classes meet on Saturdays. Four scholarships will be awarded for courses intended to begin in January.

Scholarship recipient Anastacia Gomez, who transitioned to teaching from the legal field, said “I am thankful for this program because it allows me to fulfill the dream of making a difference in the lives of children.”

The scholarship dinner, which welcomed 60 attendees, also served as the introduction to CCSJ’s Science of Reading initiative. CCSJ has furthered its partnership with the Big Shoulders Fund and Catholic Diocese of Gary to include free professional development opportunities to expand the instructional strategies of local teachers and provide research-aligned literacy instruction for all Northwest Indiana students.

Students interested in learning more about the Transition to Teaching program offered at Calumet College of St. Joseph can visit ccsj.edu.

About Calumet College of St. Joseph
Calumet College of St. Joseph is a small, private Catholic University in Northwest Indiana accredited by the Higher Learning Commission offering associate’s, bachelor’s and master’s degrees. Its emphasis on social justice, service and community, along with its commitment to equity, diversity and critical thinking, shape the whole-person education its students receive.

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