Autumn Booths is a graduate of Western Wayne High School, Class of 2014. She is the daughter of Joseph and Diane Booths, Lake Ariel, PA.
Autumn is currently attending Kutztown University, Kutztown, PA. She will be entering her senior year this coming fall. Autumn is majoring in Elementary Education (Prek-4) with a Dual Certification in Special Education: Visual Impairment (birth-21). She chose this field of study because she feels that “There are not many educators in the world who want to help students with visual impairments become more independent, empower them to achieve their goals, and become productive members of society.”
During her time at Western Wayne, Autumn was an active member for the High School Yearbook Committee, holding both President and Vice-President positions during her junior and senior years. She was also a member of the National Honor Society and graduated with Honors.
During her time at Kutztown University, Autumn has attained the honor of being named to the Dean’s List from Fall of 2014 through Spring of 2017 semesters. She currently holds an overall grade point average of 3.93. Autumn is also a member of the Braille Bears Club. The Braille Bears members adapt books, games, and cards for students with Visual Impairments and mail the finished products to students and schools in need who may not otherwise be able to afford these necessary materials.
To help better her understanding and education on visual impairments, Autumn has attended the National Association for Professional Development Schools (NAPDS) Conference in March 2017. This is a national conference for future educators to better understand the field of education and how they can help improve it. Autumn presented her research on mathematics terms and how they may affect a student who is visually impaired in the classroom. She has also previously attended and presented at the PEN-DEL Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired (AER) Conference at the end of April 2016. She has completed observations at the Overbrook School for the Blind in numerous classrooms and with two separate Teachers of the Visually Impaired in Northeastern Pennsylvania school districts, one being Western Wayne.
Autumn is also a Kutztown University Admissions tour guide. She has spoken at numerous events including Open Houses and Accepted Students Days on behalf of the Vision Program. Autumn informs prospective students and families that Kutztown is only one in four universities that offer the Vision Certification as an undergraduate degree.
Throughout her freshman and sophomore years at Kutztown, Autumn volunteered her time in the local school district for the ENGAGE Program. During this time, she worked alongside a teacher and her class to help them each week. Through this experience, she gained an insight as to what it is like to be a teacher, prior to student teaching. Her ENGAGE experience has helped her understand why she wishes to be a teacher.
Autumn feels that she will be able to make a difference in the lives of students who are blind or visually impaired and their families when she graduates from Kutztown University in May 2018. She recently passed her Pennsylvania Vision Teaching Certification Exam in December 2016. Autumn was also awarded The Northeastern Region PSEA-Retired Scholarship in April 2017 for being an outstanding student and future educator.
Autumn would like to thank the Western Wayne Administration, faculty, family, friends, and community members for honoring her achievements and hopes that her story inspires other Wildcats to “take a leap of faith and follow their dreams.”
