Checking In with Gretchen E. Ivers

Gretchen Ivers , winner of a 2018 National Merit $2500 Scholarship, earned a bachelor degree in elementary education with minors in Spanish and special education from the University of North Dakota . Gretchen now plans to earn a graduate degree in education of the blind and visually impaired. She says, "One day I just walked into the [local] school for the blind and asked how I could be involved. They had no positions open at the time, but thanks to the National Merit Scholarship, I had financial stability that allowed me to get involved as a volunteer there. The more time I spent learning from the experts at the school, the more I knew I had stumbled into a place I needed to be."

Gretchen also spent two summers in an internship with the Foundation for Agricultural and Rural Resources Management and Sustainability. "They help new farmers start up farms that benefit the land and community, sponsor internships at local farmers' markets, and provide internships at local farms," she explains. "I interned with a ranch that focuses on one-on-one mentoring between a youth and an adult in the community. Through genuine connection and the magic of animals and the outdoors, truly unforgettable lessons are learned. I am better prepared to teach and holistically care for my future students as a result of this experience."

In addition, Gretchen was able to spend a semester studying abroad in San Sebastián, Spain, while living with a host family. "If you are interested in studying abroad, get in touch with a study abroad advisor and start the process of learning more," Gretchen urges. "Start moving in a forward direction and you won't look back."

Now a graduate student at Northern Illinois University in the Master's Teacher of the Visually Impaired program, Gretchen offers the following reflection on her passion for education:

"I am passionate about creation and growth. Nothing compares to the joy on a child's face when they realize they've nurtured and grown a tomato themselves or formed an origami swan with their very own hands, and my table is always filled with the latest sewing, embroidery, or chain maille project. Every fall, stepping on crunchy leaves and thinking about the life that teems under and around them and that will work to turn them into rich soil. Every spring, watching the seedlings claw their way up out of the empty ground. What a world. Sometimes I enjoy tampering with the natural world and growing my own plants. Other times, the joy comes from simply observing. Creation and growth mesmerize me."