Southern Union names scholarship for Auburn College of Education alumna

For over 28 years, Auburn College of Education alumna Silvia Scaife has devoted her career to the field of education. Her efforts were recently recognized with the creation of the Dr. Silvia Scaife Career Pathways Scholarship by the Southern Union State Community College (SUSCC) Foundation.

“This scholarship endowment serves as a lasting tribute to Dr. Scaife’s enthusiasm, leadership and unwavering commitment to the students and families she has impacted throughout her career,” said Gretchen VanValkenburg, executive director of Advancement and Community Relations at SUSCC.

The scholarship will support graduates of Auburn City Schools who enroll at Southern Union State Community College, with preference given to students pursuing career technical or workforce-aligned programs.

Currently serving as the director of Career and Technical Education for Auburn City Schools, Scaife has a wide range of experience in multiple areas, including elementary school, middle school English/Language Arts, Theatre and Television Production. She has been named Teacher of the Year at every K-12 level and was one of the top five finalists for Alabama’s Teacher of the Year in 2006.

“I am tremendously humbled by the creation of this scholarship in my honor,” Scaife said. “That there are others who think enough of me, what I have accomplished throughout my educational career, and the impact of my efforts to help navigate the future of others and deem that impact-worthy of an endowment scholarship is truly humbling. It empowers and encourages me to continue to move forward.”

Scaife’s educational journey began with a scholarship to study Speech and Theatre at Chattahoochee Valley Community College in Phenix City, Alabama. She then transferred to Auburn and received a Bachelor of Arts in Communication and then returned to Auburn and received her Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education.

While teaching full time and maintaining her role as a wife and mother of four, Scaife simultaneously earned both a master’s degree in Elementary Education from Troy State University and an educational specialist degree in Elementary Education from Auburn in 2005. She then earned her doctorate in Curriculum and Teaching in 2011, followed by a graduate certificate in Instructional Leadership in 2017, both from Auburn’s College of Education.

Scaife believes her time in the College of Education was instrumental in preparing her for a career in education.

“I learned to be prepared, set expectations and demonstrate flexibility,” Scaife said. “I also learned how important it is to be both an advocate for the students I intend to impact and to be an advocate for myself.”

As Scaife continues to make a difference in Auburn City Schools, she works alongside another Auburn College of Education alumna in Cristen Herring, superintendent of Auburn City Schools. Not only do the two women share an alma mater, but they also share the same passion for providing the best resources and opportunities to the students with whom they cross paths.