Beginning in January 2024, Southeastern has established a new scholarship for teachers. The Debra Lee Myer Teacher’s Scholarship will be awarded to all full-time Teacher Education students living on- or off-campus. Those who qualify must apply each semester and will receive a $500 tuition scholarship for their first eight semesters for a maximum of $4,000. Other scholarship recipient qualifications must be maintained as outlined in the College Catalog.
Debra Lee dedicated her life to teaching and spent thirty-three years in the classroom. Math was her specialty, and teaching children was her passion. Her love for teaching was evidenced in everything she did. Routinely, she requested to teach the class with lower test scores, believing she could give her all in teaching and restore these academically-weaker students to grade level. She was convinced that many students simply had “math anxiety,” and those students could improve rapidly with proper instruction and care. And, year after year, that is precisely what she accomplished. By the end of each year, through Ms. Debra’s teaching and the students’ hard work, her classes tested higher than the other classes on standardized tests.
True to the teacher’s code, Ms. Debra did her homework and planned ahead financially by investing in the future. Although Ms. Debra has gone on to her eternal reward, using her resources to invest in the development of Southeastern’s teachers is something she planned for, and her family is thrilled to see her plans carried out.
You may wonder about the rabbit in the logo. Ms. Debra loved to feed wild bunnies with apple peels and wild bird food. One year, she cared for three bunnies their mother had abandoned. Debra called them the “Triplets” and became their substitute mother. Her love for rabbits was born in her foundation logo to emphasize multiplication in the teaching profession. The need for Christian teachers is tremendous, and the Debra Lee Myer Teacher’s Scholarship hopes to elevate the teaching profession while aiding those preparing to go into the classroom.
A silent partner in the Debra Lee Myer Teacher’s Scholarship is Debra’s younger sister, who was also a teacher. She referred to Debra as “My Little Debbie Snack Cake.” Together, the sisters continue to teach us by paying it forward through the Debra Lee Myer Teacher’s Scholarship.”
A couple Scripture verses guide her foundational scholarship: Proverbs 22:6 and Proverbs 23:12.
“Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22:6
“Apply thine heart unto instruction, and thine ears to the words of knowledge.” Proverbs 23:12
