The Elementary Education Program is pleased to announce the recipient for the 2024-2025 Beck Endowment Award—Isla Daye Hwang. Isla is completing her internship year in Elementary Education and will be graduating with the Master of Education teaching degree in May 2025.
As an international student, Isla graduated from the GW Elliott School of International Affairs in 2019 with Magna Cum Laude honors. During the pandemic years in Washington and Seoul, Isla tested the waters of Elementary Education in various capacities such as Proctor & Gamble’s STEAM Elementary Teacher, designing interdisciplinary STEAM [Science/Technology/Engineering/Arts/Mathematics] projects in line with global community engagement and environment awareness for elementary-aged children. Soon after and with confidence that she was on the right path, Isla applied and secured a position as the ”Principal’s Choice” in DCPS’s Everyday In-house Substitute Teacher Program at Hyde-Addison ES, one of GSEHD's Elementary Education program partner schools. Since then, Isla has seamlessly joined the Elementary Education program to pursue her dream of becoming a teacher. Isla’s proudest moment happened this summer on June 11 when she became a U.S. citizen—in her own words: “I will be fully prepared to serve the community to the best of my ability by expanding its access to educational equity and creating an educational system where all individuals, immigrant families, and minorities can comfortably pursue their dreams.
The Beck Endowment was created in 1996 from a gift by Dr. Gloria L. Horrworth, GSEHD professor emerita, in honor of colleague, alumna, GSEHD faculty member and program director, Dr. Sylven Beck.