2002 ACEI Elizabeth Breathwaite Student Leadership Award winners. (ACEI Elizabeth Breathwaite Student Leadership Award).

The following ACEI members have been honored as the 2002 recipients of ACEI's Elizabeth Breathwaite Student Leadership Award: Amy Lynn Blumenfeld, Katy Keane, Andrew Peralta, and Emily Petersen. This award recognizes outstanding student members who have shown remarkable achievement in academics, leadership ability, school and community involvement, and service to the Association. In addition to a $300 scholarship to help defray the cost of attending ACEI's 2002 Annual Conference in San Diego, each student received a complimentary conference registration.

Amy Lynn Blumenfeld is an early childhood and elementary education major at Stephens College, Columbia, MO. Her extracurricular activities include volunteering for Habitat for Humanity and serving as Co-President of her local ACEI Branch, Co-President of SLATE (Students Learning About Teacher Education), and Executive Secretary of her college's Student Government Organization. She is currently attending school on an academic scholarship.

Blumenfeld attended the 2001 ACEI Annual Conference and Exhibition in Toronto, Canada. In speaking of her experiences there, she says, "I came back to school rejuvenated and full of ideas that I had learned. Over the past few months, I have used ideas that I learned at the conference about how to start discussions to create a caring community and children's book recommendations."

In addition to attending the 2002 Conference in San Diego, Blumenfeld, along with her ACEI Branch Co-President, will present a Make-n-Take Session for fellow conference attendees. "We felt that we would benefit not only from the experience of presenting at the conference, but also from doing the research and preparing for our presentation. As the semester has progressed, we have learned from each other and the students we are teaching. What better forum to present our findings that we are excited about than a group of our peers at the conference this spring?"

Katy Keane is an early childhood education major at Stephens College, Columbia, MO. For two years, she has served as the Treasurer of SLATE (Students Learning About Teacher Education). In addition, she is a volunteer at a local day care center and a student spokeswoman on behalf of her school's education department. An active member in her community, Keane has worked as a part-time nanny, volunteereed at Safe-Trick-or-Treat, gone Christmas carolling for "100 Neediest Cases," and worked to keep a local quarry clean.

Keane has been on the Stephens College Dean's list several semesters, received the Honors Award since 1998, and was a 2001 finalist for the Jean Clinton Roeschlaub Trustee Award for outstanding scholarship, leadership, and service to Stephens College. Keane attended the 2001 ACEI Annual International Conference and Exhibition and will present at the 2002 conference on the topic of building inquiry in the classroom via primary resources.

In speaking of her reason for joining ACEI, Keane says, "I feel it is my responsibility to my future students to continue to further my knowledge in various content areas so that I may bring this information to the classroom and increase the levels of student success."

Andrew Peralta is a student at Eastern Illinois University majoring in elementary education with a math endorsement. His extracurricular activities include serving as President for his ACEI Student Branch, Kappa Delta Pi (Honorary Teacher Society), Phi Sigma Pi (National Honors Fraternity), Habitat for Humanity, Eastern Illinois Club Soccer, and serving as a supervisor for Campus Intramurals.

Peralta is also involved with his local community. He has taught in the Golf for Kids Program for Champaign Recreation, served as a grade school soccer coach for Mahomet Recreation, acted as Chair of Charleston's Pumpkin Party for 155 children, and served as Teacher and Chair for ACEI's Mini-Courses at Charleston Elementary School. Peralta is an Eastern Illinois University Honors Scholarship recipient and a recent speaker at the Illinois Association of Teacher Educators (IATE) conference.

"One of the most rewarding experiences I have had so far was attending the ACEI conference in Toronto. I got to see firsthand how this large and diverse organization worked on an international level to raise the quality of education, and was impressed how hard the ... organization worked to get input from teaching students."

Emily Petersen is a student at Stephens College majoring in elementary education. Her collegiate activities include the Peer Empowerment Program, student government, and serving as President of Students Learning About Teacher Education (SLATE). Petersen has been honored with several scholarships and academic awards, including PEO Scholarship, Distinguished Education Junior, Outstanding Junior, and Who's Who Among Colleges and Universities. In addition, she is also active in community activities, such as Big Sisters and Safe Trick-or-Treat.

Petersen attended last year's ACEI Annual Conference and is Co-President of her Student ACEI Branch.

"I chose to become a member of ACEI because as a professional organization, it puts forth philosophies that are conducive for bringing people together to uphold its ideals. ACEI as a whole is important for a preservice teacher to be a part of because of the connections that are made with others in your field."

Petersen said that she applied for this scholarship because it exemplifies the person she strives to become. "Leadership qualities stand you in good stead in all areas of life, and I have worked hard to be a leader in my academic career, my community, as well as in myself."