B.A.B.E. – Becoming a Better Educator

This scholarship is established in honor of Isabelle Paugel, known to her close friends and relatives as Babe, who lived and worked in northern Wisconsin.

Isabelle was the mother of three children, one of whom is former Amherst Elementary teacher, Celeste Paugel. Celeste honors her mother with this scholarship, remembering Isabelle as the strong and focused woman who kept the family together through difficult times. Isabelle was an example of persistence, patience, and fortitude while facing adversity.

Years later, Celeste exhibited some of the same qualities: When married with two young children and few lucrative employment opportunities, she decided to pursue a teaching degree. For ten years she worked in Amherst as an elementary teaching assistant while taking night classes at UWSP. Celeste graduated and became a fully certified, licensed teacher at Amherst Elementary School.

It is our hope that this scholarship will encourage others to persist and obtain their own college degree in the field of education.