Donor Biography

Jeanne Stratton Rawlins grew up in Cedar City--attending Cedar High and what was then known as Southern Utah State College. She majored in Elementary Education, student-taught in LaVerkin and then was hired by the Salt Lake School District in 1988, where she worked at various inner-city elementary schools for 15 years. She learned how to manage her classrooms with positive reinforcement. She found that she actually enjoyed the tough kids. She loved teaching science and finding creative ways to engage her students. Over the years, she taught every elementary grade except 5th--which she always thought she would get to. In 1994 she was named the Outstanding Educator in her legislative district.

After raising her family, Jeanne returned to education in the Davis School District. She worked as a district math specialist--training teachers and writing curriculum, taught study hall and even junior high P.E. for a year. At the time of her passing, she was the Accelerated Learning specialist at a local elementary school. She found great joy in interacting with the students and ensured they felt safe, loved and encouraged. Jeanne Rawlins passed away unexpectedly due to surgical complications in the summer of 2024. This scholarship has been created in her honor in order to support and encourage students who hope to make a difference in the world as an elementary educator.

Award Criteria

Awarded to a student majoring in elementary education in the Beverley Sorenson College of Education & Human Development with a GPA between 2.8-3.4 with financial need.

Education & Human Development

Varied Dollars/yr