Battenfields endow scholarship for NSU College of Education students

(Tahlequah, Okla.)--Thanks to the generosity of one of Northeastern State Universitys most active alumni couples, candidates in the College of Education soon can apply for a scholarship to train in foreign countries.

Mary and Dr. Harold Battenfield have committed $25,000 to establish the Mary and Harold Battenfield Scholarship Endowment. Once the fund is mature, one scholarship will be awarded each year to a College of Education candidate who has been approved to participate in an international internship. This will help defray travel expenses for the student.

The Battenfields have traveled to more than 100 countries and they expressed a wish to give our candidates an opportunity to travel abroad, said Anita Thompson, development and grants officer for the College of Education.

During each 16-week semester since spring 2010, pre-internship II teacher education candidates from NSU have visited the Vienna International School in Austria where they fulfill half their requirements. Remaining pre-internship days are served in Oklahoma. For the first time in spring 2012, pre-internship II teacher education candidates can apply to serve half their days in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, and graduate school candidates in school counseling will have the opportunity to do field work in Ireland. .

The College of Education hopes to expand the possibilities to fulfill pre-internship II requirements abroad, Thompson said. Some of our teacher education candidates students who have chosen to go overseas have never been on an airplane, let alone outside the U.S before. We are excited to offer this pre-internship option and we want to give more candidates the opportunity. We are so thankful to the Battenfields for helping us fulfill that vision.

Mary Battenfield, a 1960 graduate, was a member of the Alumni Association board and served as its president in 2008. In Tulsa, she is active in Pink Ribbon activities to support breast cancer patients, survivors and their families. She helps coordinate activities and correspondence for NSUs most cohesive alumni group, the Nifty Fifties.

Harold Battenfield, a 1959 graduate, is a retired orthopedic surgeon. With his friend Dr. John Carletti, he permanently endowed the Battenfield-Carletti Entrepreneurial Lecture Series which invites NSU alumni to campus to share their entrepreneurial experiences with students. Harold also holds four medical patents.

Harold was named an NSU Distinguished Alumnus in 2002 and Mary a Distinguished Alumna in 2011. Both were named NSU Centurions in 2010.

Application for the scholarship will require enrollment in the College of Education, a minimum 3.0 cumulative grade-point average and selection of an international internship experience. Initial availability is expected for the fall 2013 term.

The purpose of the Mary and Harold Battenfield Scholarship Endowment is to help with travel expenses.

We work to keep costs down, but ultimately the candidates must fund their own trips, Thompson said. We want this scholarship to assist a candidate with their travel expenses.