Dr. Kathleen C. Luttenegger Legacy in Teaching Endowment

Purpose
The Fund is established to provide scholarships to students pursuing a degree in Elementary Education.

This scholarship was established to honor the incredible life and teaching legacy of Dr. Kathleen C. Luttenegger. Kathleen was a Full Professor in Elementary Education and Literacy at Metropolitan State University of Denver. She completed her BA at Mount Holyoke College, MA in Special Education from Columbia University, MBA with a focus on Educational Administration from the University of Denver, and a PhD in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Colorado at Boulder. Kathleen was a National Board-Certified Teacher in the area of Middle Childhood (grades 2-5), Generalist. Her research interests included connecting field experiences with coursework for preservice teachers and formative assessment practices.
Throughout her 13-year career at MSU Denver, Kathleen accomplished far more than just teaching undergraduate, licensure, and graduate courses, she supported hundreds of students both in and outside of the classroom on their journeys to becoming teachers. Fellow faculty members revered Kathleen as a colleague, so much so that they advocated to name the most renowned graduate student award after her; The Dr. Kathleen Luttenegger Master of Arts in Teaching Outstanding Capstone Award. In her final, precious moments on this planet, Kathleen displayed unthinkable dedication to the field, MSU Denver and its students by continuing to teach online courses. A mother, teacher, colleague and friend will be dearly missed by the MSU Denver community, but her legacy will live on with this scholarship to support future Elementary Education educators.

Criteria
The scholarship recipient shall:
• Be meeting the University’s Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) requirements and cannot be in default or owe any refund/repayment of federal, state or institutional aid.
• Have a declared major in Elementary Education
• Be an undergraduate student
• Have a minimum cumulative GPA of at least 3.0
• Be registered for a minimum of 12 credits in the semester the scholarship is received
• Be a hard-working student who has overcome significant obstacles and circumstances to attend MSU Denver and pursue a degree in Elementary Education (i.e., single-parent, first-generation students, students working full-time and pursuing
degrees, etc.). Evidence of this preference should be illustrated in student responses to the prompts below. Write an essay of no more than 500 words responding to the following prompt(s): Describe a life experience that has shaped who you
are as a person. What obstacles or challenges are in your way as it pertains to your educational goals at MSU Denver (i.e., single-parent, first-generation students, students working full-time and pursuing degrees, etc.).

The scholarship is renewable (contingent on available funds).

The Donor’s preference is to award larger scholarships to fewer students.