Katherine Steele

The life I have led the last 15 years as a working military spouse has not hindered me, but rather aided my growth as a teacher and been a compass for my future travels as a professional educator. Every campus that I have had the privilege to work on has helped me become a better teacher, allowed me to touch more students, and given me opportunities to see what does and does not work in creating successful schools. Each move, initial interview and recertification exam has given me a clear vision of where I want to travel next.

I don’t think my goals would have been as clearly delineated if I had not been moving my family every few years. Perhaps I would have settled into a school, in the same state, with the same friends and been happy in that life. However, I have settled and resettled in state after state and that has made me a competent and driven teacher that strives to impact all corners of our country with my teaching.

The road map of my life has taken me from Seattle Pacific University where I earned my undergrad degree in education, to the University of California San Diego where I received a Reading Specialist Certification and now has led me to the George Washington University. I have a unique vision for a system of charter schools located near active duty military bases specifically engineered to meet the unique requirements of military dependents. My life experience as a military spouse and mother, professional qualifications as a teacher in K-12 school systems across eight states, and professional experience securing a DODEA grant partnering a technology firm with a local  charter school created this vision for the future. This vision, empowered by a degree in Administration and Leadership from the George Washington University, will afford me the qualification required to design and create a replicable, standardized, and quality education system for military families.

The Tillman Foundation invests in military veterans and spouses financially which is incredible, but it does far more than just fund educational dreams, it connects Scholars to a community of learners that have a desire to serve others. As a Tillman Scholar I will now be surrounded by a cadre of individuals that have a sense of vocation coupled with a commitment to positive change through hard work and dedication. I admire Pat's call to action, I remember 9/11 and watching my own military spouse go to work that day and wondering what the future held. The legacy of Pat that is the heart of this foundation is one of giving back. As a military spouse we serve in such a different capacity than our service members, and like Pat's spouse Marie, we are able to now reach our potential as leaders and take our own spirit of service and share it with others.