Student Story
Jennifer Sackett
Dublin, OH
M.Ed. in Special Education
"I remain committed to teaching special education students because it provides a sense of worth, unspeakable joy, and an opportunity to be a learner and a leader."
Jennifer Sackett’s leadership ethic and a strong desire to help disabled children led her to pursue a Master of Education in Special Education degree at the University of Arkansas.
“Obtaining my master’s degree means I will get to work with students who need me the most,” said Sackett, a preschool teacher at Indian Run Preschool in Dublin, Ohio. “I love being a teacher, and I believe God has called me to this service, but I have always known I wanted to work specifically with children who have disabilities. Children who have physical, emotional and behavioral disabilities take up a big space of my heart. These experiences have led to pursue teaching opportunities in the field of special education.”
Fulfilling leadership roles is another large part of Sackett’s life. She is a member of Delta Delta Delta sorority, served on the Student Alumni Board, and was a student ambassador for the College of Education and Health Professions. She was also an orientation leader and a member of the Arkansas Alumni Association. As a senior at the U of A while obtaining a Bachelor of Science in Education degree in 2007, Sackett was selected as one of the University’s Top 50 Student Leaders.
Her undergraduate and graduate education at the University of Arkansas has given Sackett the confidence to learn how to be an effective and bold leader in her school and community, she said.
“A leader finds value in others and helps them discover that value, so they in turn can be leaders for future generations,” Sackett said. “I remain committed to teaching special education students because it provides a sense of worth, unspeakable joy, and an opportunity to be a learner and a leader.”
Sackett is one of 23 people to receive the W.E. Manning Memorial Scholarship for online U of A students for the 2020-2021 academic year. She plans to become either an in‐hospital teacher for long‐term care pediatric patients or an intervention specialist in a public school.
“This scholarship provides me the opportunity to continue my education at the University of Arkansas and is very helpful financially,” she said. “I will also add that I was elated when I was notified of my scholarship award! It was certainly a bright spot and welcomed good news in the midst of this pandemic.”