Tekiah Brabham ’05

Tekiah Brabham ’05, always knew that she wanted to be an educator.  Coming from a family of teachers, she had an opportunity to see the difference she could make in a child’s life early on.  

Now a Kindergarten teacher at West Education Campus in Washington, D.C., she spends her days nurturing the youngest minds in her school.  
“They learn so much that first year, the transformation from the first day of class to the last is pretty incredible.  I love to watch them grow and glow.” Says Brabham.  
She credits her education at Kutztown University, and the experiences afforded her through the College of Education, for preparing her to go into the classroom ready to make an impact.  

Though presented with many opportunities and campus visits to other schools during her senior year of high school, she chose KU because they were quick to offer her placement and enough financial aid to help her family see her through school.  

“It felt like they were investing in me,” says Brabham.  “And I never forgot that.”

She recalls her time as a student doing field experiences and student teaching fondly, and relished her experiences in urban districts in Reading and Allentown as being particularly gratifying.  A north Philadelphia native herself, she took to the urban schools and enjoyed the students and families she interacted with.  Later, she would recall those experiences when she established her very own scholarship.  

Last year, after having established herself as a successful educator and basketball coach, she decided to join our Tower Society and generously established the “Tekiah Brabham ’05 Scholarship” for students attending KU coming from Reading, Allentown or Philadelphia school districts.  It was important to her to provide opportunities to students coming from urban districts as she had.  

When asked what inspired her gift, she had this to share.

“When you leave a place that has done so much for you, you should find ways to afford someone else the same experience. Someone did it for me and there was no question that this is what I wanted to do too.”

Join Tekiah in making your Tower Society gift.