By Heidi Raker
Throughout the month of June, the School of Education at Manhattanville College is remembering a Greenwich school teacher and one of its most compelling graduates who, after her untimely death in 2008, continues to improve the lives of educators and special needs students in the region.
The Mary K. Humphreys Endowed Scholarship in Special Education, the first endowed scholarship in Manhattanville’s School of Education, has awarded ten scholarships since its inception in Feb. 2008 to special education master’s students, thanks to the generosity of Closter, N.J., native and former Bedford, N.Y., resident William Humphreys, husband of the late Mary K. Humphreys, and the family members of Mrs. Humphreys, all natives of Stamford.
The Mary K. Humphreys Endowed Scholarship in Special Education is an award to graduate students in honor of Mary K. Humphreys, who dedicated her life in education to children with special needs. Mrs. Humphreys was an alumna of Manhattanville College. To honor her memory, the family of Mary K. Humphreys has endowed this scholarship for Special Education at Manhattanville College. Successful scholarship candidates demonstrate a passion for and sensitivity to the needs of children with special needs. These candidates personify the ideals, compassion, and work ethic of Mary K. Humphreys. The candidate demonstrates perseverance in enriching the quality of life of children.
About Mary K. Humphreys
Mary K. Humphreys gave back to the community in many ways. Her greatest passion was her love of teaching children with special needs. After leaving her corporate career at Stolt Nielsen and U.S. Tobacco, she earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in education from Manhattanville College, later achieving her Master’s Degree of Professional Studies and Special Education from Manhattanville.
While living in Singapore with her husband, from 1994 to 1999, Mary took additional education courses at National University of Singapore. She taught children in both the Overseas Family School in Singapore and the Greenwich Public School system.
“My dedication to keeping my wife’s memory and commitment to improvements in special education alive were responsible for the family to establish an endowment for the Mary K. Humphreys Endowed Scholarship in Special Education,” said William Humphreys. “Mary’s passion for teaching special education students, after her completion of special education studies at Manhattanville’s School of Education, lives on through our rigorous vetting of scholarship recipients, many of whom, like Mary, became mid-life educators that motivated their determination to give back to the community, especially to the vulnerable special needs youth population which deeply touched Mary’s heart.”
A Legacy of Compassion Lives on Through the Mary K. Humphreys Endowed Scholarship in Special Education Program
“Mary Humphrey’s dedication to the vulnerable student in the traditional K-12 setting was extraordinary. Her family’s decision to honor her has enabled our students to be recognized for their dedication to special education, said Manhattanville School of Education Dean Dr. Shelley B. Wepner. “In addition to the Mary K. Humphreys Endowed Scholarship in Special Education, the family has created the Mary K. Humphreys Scholar program, which provides a partial tuition scholarship to two students each year enrolled in the Manhattanville Excellence in Teaching Academy (META). This is the School of Education’s highly selective and clinically rich master’s degree program in Childhood & Special Education (grades 1–6). These two scholarships enable us to recognize those students who are passionate about working with students with special needs.”
“As a member of the Mary K. Humphreys Endowed Scholarship Committee, the selection of candidates has been a very rewarding and personal experience. My participation has been a privilege that allowed me to take the time out of my academic schedule to really look at the quality and dedication of our teacher candidates. Their depth of character and their emotional investment in improving the lives of children appear to be an apt legacy to Mary and her love and dedication,” said Ellis I. Barowsky, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Special Education, Manhattanville School of Education. “In the first 10 years of selecting candidates, we have reviewed over 600 potential recipients. We have interviewed 40 finalists during this period, and making the final annual selection has not been easy. Our finalists don’t see teaching merely as a job, but rather a ‘calling,’ often initiated early in their own lives through their own experiences of having been influenced by other dedicated professionals and, in many cases, their own need to have had a very special teacher in their lives.”
Manhattanville graduates from the School of Education’s various special education program options are employed throughout the region.
“Many of the regional building administrators report that they prefer to hire Manhattanville Special Education graduates, and a visit to our local schools will affirm that claim,” added Dr. Vance Austin, Chairperson of the Department of Special Education. “In fact, we are confident that a poll of the special education teaching faculty in almost any of our regional schools will reveal that many are graduates of Manhattanville’s School of Education. The reason for this claim is the type of preparation offered, with authentic classroom experiences that begin in the very first course. Students have opportunities to work with seasoned experts in the many partnership schools. Students also have program choices in special education because of the unprecedented number of masters and advanced certification programs in special education that are offered through the School of Education.”
Those students selected for the scholarship go through a lengthy and serious review process. “As a member of the Mary K. Humphreys Endowed Scholarship Committee, the selection of candidates has been a very rewarding and personal experience. My participation has been a privilege that allowed me to take the time out of my academic schedule to really look at the quality and dedication of our teacher candidates. Their depth of character and their emotional investment in improving the lives of children appears to be an apt legacy to Mary and her love and dedication,” said Ellis I. Barowsky, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Special Education, Manhattanville School of Education. “In the first 10 years of selecting candidates, we have reviewed over 600 potential recipients. We have interviewed 40 finalists during this period and making the final annual selection has not been easy. Our finalists don’t see teaching merely as a job, but rather a ‘calling,’ often initiated early in their own lives through their own experiences of having been influenced by other dedicated professionals and in many cases their own need to have had a very special teacher in their lives.”
