The New Susan Alderman Pre-C Scholarship
College is a chance to try many things. It is as much about the friends you make and the people you meet as it is about what you learn in the classroom.
– Susan Alderman (1941-2023)
Susan Alderman transformed futures as a mentor to Summit High School Pre-Collegiate students, who were first in their families to go to college.
Susan passed away in October of 2023. In her memory, her sister Jane launched the Susan Alderman Pre-Collegiate Scholarship through the Education Foundation of the Summit.
A Pre-Collegiate student said, “One thing I remember about my mentor Susan is that she would always have a smile and she always wanted to know more about us. She was very kind but also quiet. I hope she’s in a very good place now. We miss her a lot.”
Susan touched the lives of countless students throughout her career. She studied deaf and hard-of-hearing education with a focus on children at University of Michigan. She then went on to teach young children with hearing loss in California. Then Susan worked at Chicago Head Start to promote the school readiness of infants, toddlers, and preschool-aged children from families with low income. Later she earned a Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Education/Special Ed and was director of Arvada West Preschool.
Many friends and family agreed that “the way Susan related to children was uncanny.”
In her retirement years, along with mentoring students she also championed the introduction of Summit County’s therapy dog organization, Summit Therapy Animals.
If you would like to donate to the Susan Alderman Pre-Collegiate Scholarship fund, or make a general donation to the Education Foundation of the Summit, please visit this page for more information.