A Stafford High School teacher who works with autistic students was recently named the first recipient of the Heather Empfield Scholarship in Autism.
Heather Schwarz will receive a $1,000 scholarship to help pay for a graduate certificate in autism from the University of Mary Washington.
"I love what I’m doing," Schwarz said in a statement. "There’s nothing better than discovering a way to work with students with autism. Every day is different. It’s always fun and exciting."
Schwarz graduated from James Madison University’s five-year program in special education in 2009, according to a press release. At JMU she was a member of the Council for Exceptional Children, and served as its treasurer during her senior year.
This is her first year as a full-time teacher.
The scholarship honors Empfield, a former autism coordinator for the Stafford County school system. She died last May and is the namesake of a day school and transition center for students with autism and other disabilities.
More than $27,000 has been donated to the Heather Empfield Scholarship in Autism. Recipients must work for Stafford schools and be teachers, paraprofessionals or administrators who work with students with autism.
The scholarship is designed to help an employee "achieve his or her professional development goals in autism."
Schwarz said she has known for a long time that she wanted to be a teacher.
"When I was at JMU, I helped with the Book Buddies project for students with learning disabilities, and I assisted with Special Olympics, in swimming and basketball," she said. "From that moment on, I knew that I wanted to do something that had a purpose and was rewarding."