Each year during my undergrad, I worked hard to complete projects and do the best I could. As a studio art major, almost more important to me than walking down the graduation stage was displaying my senior project in the art gallery at the University of Saint Francis. If I did not have the opportunity to showcase my work, it would have been disappointing and discouraging. My heart goes out to the graduates that were not able to show off their senior projects this year due to COVID-19. The dramatic shift from classroom to online learning provided challenges, and I wanted to give our Questa Scholars the platform to share their senior projects and be proud of their accomplishments.
Taylor Autrey with her son, Kaylor
Taylor Autrey became a Questa Scholar last year so she could receive the extra funding needed to complete her Master’s in Special Education and receive her special education licensure. She started her thesis project in June of 2019. It took her almost a year to complete.
During college, Taylor learned about “brain breaks”, short 2-5 minute physical activities, that are proven effective in teaching middle school students with Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD).
Taylor anonymously surveyed 40 licensed teachers at her school to find out the level of knowledge Fort Wayne Community School (FWCS) teachers had about SPD and using movement breaks as a tool.
As result, Taylor created an original handbook for teachers to learn how to use kinesthetic movement breaks in their classroom. The handbook includes information on SPD and simple activities that teachers can do with students to help them focus and learn.
Taylor’s senior thesis poster - View PDF version here
“I don’t see the disability in my students. I only see the ability of what they are able to do, and my job is to help them be successful. What I like most about special education is the small group work. I can build relationships with my students,” Taylor says.
This May, Taylor received her Master of Education from Purdue Fort Wayne and she plans to continue teaching special education for middle school students at FWCS.
Taylor said, “Honestly, if I would not have had the funding from Questa to finish my degree, I would have never finished it. I only needed a few classes to get certification to teach special education in the state of Indiana. Questa allowed me to take the extra classes that gave me the professional development I needed to be successful in my job.”
Stories like Taylor’s inspire me because it proves that Northeast Indiana is developing quality graduates. Caring, smart, passionate people like Taylor are who we need to develop our region and make our home a better place. Thanks for sharing your work, Taylor and congratulations on your graduation!
Post by Hillary Troup, Scholar & Marketing Specialist at Questa Education Foundation, graduate from the University of Saint Francis, Class of 2015.
Find out more about Questa’s programming at https://www.questafoundation.org/programs-overview
A special thank you to the AWS Foundation who made it possible to support students pursuing their Special Education licensure.