The Kathleen Anna Norton Scholarship
Named after Kathleen Anna Norton, a dedicated and passionate teacher devoted to serving children with special needs, the Kathleen Anna Norton Scholarship makes it possible for Adventurers to attend the Academy.
Kathleen was born December 31, 1952. She graduated from St. Mary of the Angels Academy High School in Haddonfield, New Jersey in 1970. She received her B.A. in Elementary Education from Glassboro State in 1974 and her Masters in Mental Retardation Education from the University of Northern Colorado in 1979.
Kathleen loved all of God's creatures, large and small. She loved animals, especially rabbits. She was a great protector of the small, the downtrodden and the disadvantaged from early childhood. This passionate spirit and her decision early in her life to serve the community led to her commitment to helping those individuals who required the most help and love. This commitment resulted in Kathleen to focus her teaching to deaf and blind children, as well as those children whose mental disabilities required placement in State Institutions.
Kathleen dedicated her teaching skills to focus on the most profoundly disabled children. Her students, mostly institutionalized for life by their parents, experienced her exceptional gift through her touch, spirit and extraordinary patience. Kathleen's year long efforts were rewarded by a recognizing smile from a student or their ability to raise a finger at her encouragement. Her death, on March 18, 1983, occurred while Kathleen was teaching severely handicapped children at the Wyoming Training School. Kathleen was 30 years old.
In addition to The Kathleen Anna Norton Scholarship at The Adventurers Academy of Lifelong Learning, a memorial tree garden at the Wyoming State Training School and a special playground designed for the deaf and blind at the Helen Keller National Center on Long Island were built in Kathleen's legacy. In addition to those, a classroom was dedicated in Kathleen's name at Holy Family Catholic High School as well as a second Kathleen Anna Norton Scholarship at The Piven Theatre Workshop, which provides theatre classes to adults with developmental disabilities.
Kathleen loved all of God's creatures, large and small. She loved animals, especially rabbits. She was a great protector of the small, the downtrodden and the disadvantaged from early childhood. This passionate spirit and her decision early in her life to serve the community led to her commitment to helping those individuals who required the most help and love. This commitment resulted in Kathleen to focus her teaching to deaf and blind children, as well as those children whose mental disabilities required placement in State Institutions.
Kathleen dedicated her teaching skills to focus on the most profoundly disabled children. Her students, mostly institutionalized for life by their parents, experienced her exceptional gift through her touch, spirit and extraordinary patience. Kathleen's year long efforts were rewarded by a recognizing smile from a student or their ability to raise a finger at her encouragement. Her death, on March 18, 1983, occurred while Kathleen was teaching severely handicapped children at the Wyoming Training School. Kathleen was 30 years old.
In addition to The Kathleen Anna Norton Scholarship at The Adventurers Academy of Lifelong Learning, a memorial tree garden at the Wyoming State Training School and a special playground designed for the deaf and blind at the Helen Keller National Center on Long Island were built in Kathleen's legacy. In addition to those, a classroom was dedicated in Kathleen's name at Holy Family Catholic High School as well as a second Kathleen Anna Norton Scholarship at The Piven Theatre Workshop, which provides theatre classes to adults with developmental disabilities.
Kathleen's spirit lives on today in the love of her family, her God Children, and the many people who were blessed by her friendship, passionate spirit and exceptional teaching.
