Congratulations to Katie Foreman, one of our two Madeline Korfman Memorial Scholarship recipients!
As noted by her nominator, Katie’s dedication to teaching is evident in every aspect of her work. She combines creativity, adaptability, and a deep sense of empathy to foster classrooms where students feel supported and inspired to learn. During her field experience, Katie developed personalized reading strategies that built students’ confidence, while also engaging fully in school life, including volunteering her evenings to support internationally visiting teachers and students during their time in Kelowna.
“I wasn’t expecting it at all. To be recognized out of 120 candidates—it was such an honour,” she says. “For me, teaching is really about making connections and supporting students beyond academics. I genuinely love building connections with kids and helping them feel appreciated.”
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Teaching had been on Katie Foreman’s horizon long before university. With several teachers in her family, she grew up surrounded by inspiring role models.
“I always knew I wanted to work with kids,” she explains. “I taught dance growing up, had amazing mentors in high school, and those opportunities really sparked my love for education.”
Before entering the Bachelor of Education (BEd) program, she gained valuable experience at Brentwood College School, an independent boarding school in Mill Bay. Supporting Grade 11 and 12 students through the uncertainty of post-secondary planning became a meaningful part of her role. For many, those years carried a lot of pressure. She focused on helping students slow down, explore possibilities, and feel reassured that they didn’t need to have everything figured out at once. That support naturally extended into the rest of her work.
“Because I lived on campus, those conversations happened throughout daily life,” she says. “In a boarding school, you’re not just teaching. You’re coaching sports and arts, helping with student life and boarding routines, and cheering students on through all the overwhelming parts of being a teenager. I really enjoyed building these amazing connections with staff and students.”
Looking back on her time in the BEd program, she describes her practicum candidacy and now internship as a highlight.
“You spend the fall learning so much, and by the end you’re just eager to put theory into practice,” she says. “Getting into the classroom was so rewarding. It was the first chance to see everything we had talked about start to come together.”
She also values the friendships and connections she has built with classmates, mentors, and faculty. “My mom always said it takes a village, and I’ve been lucky to have an incredible village supporting me—my family, my mentors, my professors, my peers.”
For future BEd students, Katie’s advice is simple: be ready for a whirlwind.
“It goes by so fast. Take opportunities as they come, ask questions, put yourself out there, but also take care of yourself. Set boundaries and know your limits, because you can’t show up for your students if you’re not showing up for yourself. There will be highs and lows, but the growth you see in yourself and in your colleagues makes it all worth it.”
About the Madeline Betty Korfman Scholarship
This scholarship has been endowed through a bequest by Madeline Betty Korfman to honour her love for teaching. Madeline Korfman taught school in southwestern Saskatchewan before relocating to the Okanagan in the mid-1900s. This scholarship is awarded to two teacher candidates who significantly demonstrate a “love for teaching” based on the recommendation of Okanagan School of Education faculty.