GLENVILLE – Glenville State College alumna Dancey Howes was honored at the 2019 Southern Early Childhood Association (SECA) Conference in Orlando, Fla.

Howes received the 2019 Helen Harley Scholarship, a memorial scholarship created in honor of Helen Harley, who served as the first “official” business manager of SECA (known originally as the Southern Association for Children under Six) from 1971 to 1974.

Three scholarships are presented each year to individuals from designated states to assist recipients in attending the SECA conference for the first time. In 2019, West Virginia was one of the designated states to select the recipient.

Howes graduated from GSC in 2016 and is currently a teacher in a multi-age preschool and kindergarten classroom at Hacker Valley Elementary School in Webster County, West Virginia. While pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Education at GSC, she specialized in Elementary Education (K-6), Early Education (Pre-K-K), and Multi-Categorical Special Education (K-6).

She was also Vice President of GSC’s Early Education Student Group and organized many events including Trick-or-Reading, Polar Express Reading Night, and numerous other community reading events.

In her school community, Howes facilitates online Spanish classes and volunteers after school and at sporting events. She attends professional development on a variety of topics and is a member of the West Virginia State Instructional Materials Review Committee.

She is also on the West Virginia Association for Young Children Governing Board and serves as a member-at-large.

The West Virginia Association for Young Children (WVAYC) was pleased to recommend Howes for this scholarship and commends her for her dedication and commitment to the education of young children.

Visit www.southernearlychildhood.org or www.wvayc.net to learn more about SECA or WVAYC.