October 29, 2007
Bowling
Green, Ky. - A current student and a graduate of Western Kentucky University’s Interdisciplinary Early Childhood Education Master of Arts in Education program received prestigious awards this week at an international conference.
Sarah E. McMaine of Owensboro is this year’s recipient of the Kathleen W. McCartan Award from the Division for Early Childhood of the Council for Exceptional Children. McMaine, who received her bachelor’s in exceptional education from WKU in 2006, is a full-time student in the IECE master’s program and serves as assistant to the director of WKU’s Kelly Autism Program.
Candace (Candy) E. Stolt of Franklin is the recipient of the group’s Rose C. Engel Award. Stolt, who completed her master’s in IECE in 1993, is the early childhood teacher consultant for the Simpson County Schools.
“Both are outstanding professionals in the fields of early childhood and early childhood special education,” said Dr. Vicki Stayton, coordinator of the IECE programs at WKU and an adviser to both award winners. “As recipients of these highly competitive awards, Ms. McMaine and Stolt exemplify the caliber of graduate students and professionals in the WKU service region.”
The awards were presented Thursday (Oct. 25) during the Division for Early Childhood’s 23rd Annual International Conference on Young Children with Special Needs & Their Families at Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada.
The Division for Early Childhood is one of 17 divisions of the Council for Exceptional Children -- the largest international professional organization dedicated to improving educational outcomes for individuals with exceptionalities, students with disabilities, and/or the gifted. The Division for Early Childhood (http://www.dec-sped.org/) is especially for individuals who work with or on behalf of children with special needs, birth through age 8, and their families.
McMaine and Stolt are both working to provide educational services and support to children and their families in the region.
McMaine, in her role at Kelly Autism Program, assists in coordinating programs for elementary, middle school, secondary and college students with autism and supervises undergraduate and graduates who provide services for the individuals with autism.
“Both my classes in Exceptional Education and Interdisciplinary Early Childhood Education have had a huge influence in my life,” McMaine said. “In my Exceptional Education classes I was able to see where my passion was, working with children with autism. This was furthered in my IECE classes where I experienced what age group I was most passionate about, young children with autism.”
Her service to children and families also includes volunteering at Big Red School, an inclusive early childhood program that provides services for young children with disabilities, primarily children 2 through 5 with autism. She also volunteers with Special Olympics and the Bowling Green Parks and Recreation programs for children/youth with disabilities and provides respite services for families of children with disabilities.
McMaine is an active member of the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) and its Division for Early Childhood and Pi Sigma Pi National Honor Fraternity. She has been an active member of the Student Council for Exceptional Children at the local, state and national levels since 2002. Her awards include Kelly Autism Program Leadership Award, Kentucky Student CEC Member of the Year and Exceptional Education Faculty Program Silver Cup.
Stolt, in her role in Simpson County schools, assists in coordinating all preschool programs in that county, consults with administrators and teachers in providing inclusive services for children with disabilities, and provides technical assistance including in-service training for preschool teachers, assistants, and related services personnel.
“I am honored to receive the Rose C. Engel Award,” Stolt said. “It has been a privilege to attend WKU and receive my master’s degree in IECE under the guidance and leadership of Dr. Vicki Stayton. WKU has given me the opportunity to expand and apply my skills as an Early Childhood Educator in the IECE Practicum Summer Program and as an Adjunct Professor for IECE. I am thrilled to be able to interact with the WKU students that will be working in Early Childhood. They remind me why I love this field and love to teach the children and work with families. I am thankful that I chose the teaching field for it has enriched my life. I am proud to teach at the Simpson County Preschool and be a small part of the IECE program at WKU.”
Stolt, a 1977 graduate of Mankato State University in Minnesota, enrolled in the WKU master’s program in 1991 and completed the degree while working full-time.
In the administrative and direct service positions she has had over the years, her ultimate goal has been to ensure that all children and families receive high quality services based on recommended practices in the field and that those services meet the individual needs of children and families.
Stolt has been sought out to be a member of numerous local committees because of her extensive knowledge of services in the community, as well as her willingness to share her expertise and to be actively involved in professional endeavors. One of the most recent is the Caveland Regional Autism Team, a regional technical assistance office funded by the Kentucky Department of Education.
More WKU news is available at www.wku.edu. If you’d like to receive WKU news via e-mail, send a message to WKUNews@wku.edu.
For information, contact Vicki Stayton at (270) 745-3450.
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