Abstract
PDK International relies on scholarship application readers to help determine which applicants will receive scholarship funds. PDK member Bernadine Moldoch has been a scholarship reader for 11 years and sees it as a rewarding way to contribute to the profession after her retirement.
Scholarship readers help educators on their paths
Each year, PDK International awards multiple scholarships to high school seniors planning for a career in education and current educators looking to attain advanced degrees. We regularly thank those who endow the scholarships and celebrate the students who receive them. But another group of people who are essential to the scholarship program get less attention: the scholarship application readers.
Scholarship readers serve in the valuable role of helping decide who receives aid using a rubric that makes the qualifications clear and helps eliminate bias. One dedicated reader who has evaluated applications for 11 years is Bernadine Moldoch of Buffalo, New York.
“I worked in the field of education for 45 years as a teacher, program supervisor, elementary school principal, and district language arts supervisor,” Moldoch said. “Throughout the years, I strived to support individuals who demonstrated an interest in the field of education. When I retired, I looked for an avenue to continue that support. PDK was seeking volunteers to read and rate the applications, and that was my answer.”
Much like the scholarship applicants, readers come from diverse backgrounds, from high school teachers in our Educators Rising program to college deans hoping to better understand how the next generation of educators feels about the field.
Moldoch has seen a change in the applicants over her tenure as a reader. “At the beginning, a number of applicants were not involved in Educators Rising [and had] very little background in education,” she said. “Presently, the applicants demonstrate a stronger background knowledge of education and practical application because the seniors are members of Educators Rising.”
Approximately 60 readers are needed annually, and each reader is assigned between 15 and 20 applications. The volunteer position is rewarding in many ways. “It warms my heart to see the excitement of the applicants and their positive expectations in their journey as future educators,” Moldoch said.
To learn more about the scholarship program, visit