New scholarship seeks to support education majors, Fraternity and Sorority Life

New scholarship seeks to support education majors, Fraternity and Sorority Life

A Northwest Missouri State University alumna has created a scholarship for future teachers in hopes of inspiring the spirited experience she enjoyed as an undergraduate student at the University.

Emily Wormsley Greene, a 1971 graduate of Northwest, has established the Emily Wormsley Greene Scholarship by pledging a gift totaling $25,000 during the next five years.

Recipients of the scholarship will receive no less than $1,000 annually. To be eligible, students must be enrolled full-time at Northwest and be classified as a junior. They must have a minimum 3.0 GPA while pursuing a bachelor's degree in early childhood education or elementary education and be involved in Fraternity and Sorority Life.

"Her time at Northwest was highly engaged, and she believes it was the absolute best environment to get her start," Assistant Vice President of University Advancement Jill Brown said. "Emily launched straight into a phenomenal career, thoroughly enjoying her role in the North Kansas City School District from 1971 to 2014. Today, her goal is crystal clear: To mentor and support the next generation, helping them successfully graduate and launch their own rewarding careers in education."

A native of the Kansas City area, Greene saw in Northwest an opportunity to pursue a college degree at an affordable cost and lay the foundation for a successful career. After watching her older brother earn a business degree from the institution and launch his career with Hallmark Cards, Greene was convinced Northwest provided the best path to help her attain her goals.

"There are so many people that have gone on to do amazing things," Greene said of Northwest's graduates. "It was affordability, and it was a place where the instructors were great, and the programs were great. It's always had a high percentage of those being hired out of Northwest because of its great reputation, but I went there because it was affordable, and my brother had a great time when he was there."

Greene knew she wanted to be a teacher at an early age. While her grandmother and mother both taught in one-room schoolhouses, Greene regularly participated in after-school programs at the North Kansas City YMCA and was highly involved in clubs and organizations at her high school.

Studying a major in elementary education was a natural choice when Greene enrolled at Northwest.

"I always wanted to be a teacher since the time I was 6 years old, and I ran what was called a busy bee club in my basement as a little kid, and I was the teacher," she said. "That is all I ever wanted to do was be a teacher, and oh boy, did I love it. I loved every minute of it, and I knew Northwest had a great reputation for education degrees."

Greene took advantage of opportunities to practice at Horace Mann Laboratory School under the mentorship of the late Dr. Dean Savage. Additionally, she was active with the Sigma Sigma Sigma sorority, serving then as a chapter president, and now organizes regular reunions with her former classmates - maintaining the valuable connections that sorority life continues to provide her.

"I got into everything," she said, noting she also served as a Homecoming Committee co-chair and participated in intramural sports.

Those experiences at Northwest propelled her into a student teaching role with the North Kansas City School District and eventually a 30-year career as an elementary teacher in the school district. She spent the last 13 years of her education career as a trainer and coordinator for substitute teachers.

More recently, in 2021, Greene joined the Northwest Foundation Board of Directors as an avenue to give back to the University community that means so much to her. She is proud of the opportunities the Foundation creates to help the University and its students prosper.

"Northwest is a great place, and I am out touting that all the time," Greene said. "It's the same homey, comfortable-feeling place. You can be yourself there, but there's such support, and I just wish the world knew all that I know now - being on the Foundation - of all the little things we do."

Greene says she would not be the person she is today without Northwest, prompting her to create a scholarship that assists future educators.

"I really want somebody else to have that same joy of teaching and getting their education at Northwest," Greene said. "We all know that money gets tighter and tighter as time goes on, and for somebody not to be able to finish just because they're short an amount of money - I hope to help a little bit with that."

The Emily Wormsley Greene Scholarship fund is open and capable of receiving additional contributions at any time.

To support the scholarship or make a gift to another Northwest fund, visit https://www.nwmissouri.edu/GiveOnline or contact the Office of University Advancement at 660.562.1248 or [email protected].