WEST LIBERTY, W.Va. — West Liberty University student Elizabeth Ivanac has been selected as a Teaching Fellow with Breakthrough Collaborative, a nationally recognized education nonprofit that prepares undergraduate students to become impactful educators while helping students from historically underserved communities succeed academically.
Ivanac, a Math Education 5-Adult major in West Liberty University’s College of Education and Human Performance, was chosen for the highly competitive fellowship and will spend nine weeks this summer in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Following a week of intensive training on the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) campus, she will teach eighth-grade physics at Cambridge Rindge and Latin School.
Founded more than 40 years ago, Breakthrough Collaborative partners with schools across the country to provide academically rigorous summer and out-of-school programs that help students build pathways to college. Through its Teaching Fellowship program, undergraduate students receive extensive professional training, classroom coaching and hands-on teaching experience while developing leadership, communication and instructional skills.
As part of the fellowship, Ivanac will receive more than 100 hours of professional educator training and ongoing coaching while teaching academic and enrichment courses in a collaborative learning environment.
“I am excited to implement the strategies I’ve learned so far at WLU and inspire young students,” Ivanac said. “I am proud to represent West Liberty in Cambridge this summer.”
Ivanac also credited her experiences at West Liberty for preparing her for the opportunity.
“I’m really excited, and I wanted to let you know that the math department is definitely doing a great job preparing its students for internships,” she said. “I’m especially excited to visit the Museum of Science’s Mathematica exhibit to see some cool math history artifacts and models.”
Raymond Holsapple, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Mathematics and Chair of the Department of Physical Sciences and Mathematics, said Ivanac exemplifies the qualities needed to succeed both in the classroom and beyond.
“I am extremely proud of Elizabeth for being accepted into this summer program,” Holsapple said. “I had heard amazing things about her for a year from other math faculty at WLU, and then I was fortunate enough to finally get Elizabeth in my History of Math course this past spring. What an honor to have her in class.”
“Elizabeth has a passion for learning that is unrivaled among the many students I’ve had the pleasure to teach at West Liberty University,” he continued. “She has an uncommonly high aptitude for logic and reasoning that is perfect for both learning and teaching math and science. In addition to that, Elizabeth is polite, confident and has a genuinely sincere personality. I have no doubt she’ll make an excellent STEM teacher.”
The Breakthrough Collaborative Teaching Fellowship is designed for undergraduate students from all academic disciplines and career aspirations. Fellows receive professional development in classroom management, instructional strategies, leadership and public speaking while working alongside experienced educators and motivated students at one of the organization’s 25 affiliate sites nationwide.
West Liberty University blends a small-town environment with a comprehensive college experience, fostering students’ aspirations through hands-on learning, personalized support, and unique academic programs at both undergraduate and graduate levels. To apply or learn more about West Liberty University, visit westliberty.edu.
Media Contact:
Rhone Thrash
West Liberty University
rhone.thrash@westliberty.edu
