Diana Finesmith, MSEd, LPC, NCC, CCTP, who’s on track to earn a Master of Education in Educational Leadership from Arcadia next year, was awarded the Hannah Amgott Memorial Scholarship from the Delaware Valley Education Consortium. This scholarship recognizes and celebrates students exhibiting excellence in their individual pursuits of careers in education, rewarding them with $2,500 to assist them on their career path.

In her application, Finesmith included letters of recommendation from Dr. Bruce Campbell, associate professor and director of Arcadia’s Educational Leadership Master’s and Supervisory Certification programs, and a colleague of hers from Abington Middle School, where she works as a school counselor, her resume, and an essay discussing how she’s made an impact in the field of education. 

Finesmith chose to write about the work she’s done with restorative practices at Abington Middle School, whether that be the training she has given to educators, the class circles she’s facilitated with students, or smaller meetings between students or students and their teachers. 

“Sometimes we don’t see eye to eye, but we still need to find a way to work together,” she explained. “These conferences can restore that relationship. I’ve seen a lot of success where students feel more comfortable with their teacher and stay in that classroom or students even become friends with each other.” 

While she is grateful for the monetary reward included with the scholarship, Finesmith is even more thankful for the acknowledgment it represents.

“This is something that I’m very passionate and vocal about,” she said. “It’s something that I really, truly believe in, so that recognition and validation is very important to me.”

After completing her MEd, Finesmith will intern at Abington Middle School in pursuit of a Principal PK-12 Certification from Arcadia.

“While I love what I’ve been able to do on the ground in the classroom, I’m hoping that in a supervisory role, I can build these ideas right into the programs and systems of the school to help everyone from the start,” she explained.