Shannon, a recipient of a Barzilai Foundation Scholarship at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, has dedicated her life to the welfare of children. We are excited to share her story and to support her pursuit of the next phase of her career.

Shannon’s journey started thirty years ago in very customary fashion. After obtaining a degree, she launched into a career in the pharmaceutical industry, where she would spend nearly a decade. After that time, Shannon stepped away to focus on starting a family with her husband. They chose for Shannon to homeschool their children, something that became an essential decision when two of their three children faced serious obstacles: her older daughter suffered several hospitalizations for a life-threatening autoimmune disease, and her younger daughter needed extensive spinal fusion surgery.

While supporting their children through these obstacles, Shannon faced a personal trial of her own. In late 2021, she had to unexpectedly assume the responsibilities of a single parent, and one with no significant savings to rely upon. She remained committed to completing the homeschooling of her children, and as they reached university age, inspired by her passion for teaching, Shannon began a new career as an educational assistant for special education students.

“When you talk to Shannon, you immediately feel her passion for teaching and working with children. Her role as an educational assistant erased any doubt about the career path she wanted to pursue,” said Brandon Sosa, CEO of the Barzilai Foundation. “However, to get paid at the level she needs to provide for her family as a single parent Shannon needs to advance her career and that requires Shannon to achieve a higher level of education.”

Shannon hasreturned to UW-Madison – her alma mater over thirty years earlier – and is pursuing a Master’s degree with teachers licensure so that she can work as a K-12 cross-categorical special education teacher. “Teaching is my passion,” Shannon shared with us. “I cannot find anything else I would rather do than teach, especially those with special needs.”

Through our program with the Division of Continuing Studies at UW-Madison, the Barzilai Foundation was able to award Shannon a scholarship that will support her pursuit of a degree that will allow her to advance her career. “We are excited to remove obstacles like these and give motivated students like Shannon who would otherwise be blocked a clear path to achieve big things,” Sosa added. “She’s overcome so much to this point. We’re honored to shoulder some of the weight for her.”