EMU College of Education Graduate Jordan Dann Discusses Impact of Brehm Scholarship

By Rachel Renou | Published December 2, 2019

YPSILANTI - Started by William and Delores Brehm, the Dolores S. Brehm Endowed Scholarship in Special Education is the first $1 million scholarship in Eastern Michigan University’s history, providing tuition and research support for graduates and undergraduates studying special education.

Each academic year, the program supports up to 10 students exemplifying outstanding pre-professional skills in the field of special education, coupled with a commitment to serve children and adolescents with special needs. One of the Brehm Scholars in 2017-2018 included Speech-Language Pathology student, Jordan Dann.

Dann, now an EMU graduate and state-licensed Speech Language Pathologist, largely attributes his academic and professional success to the Dolores S. Brehm Endowed Scholarship.

“The Brehm Scholarship has affected me in a variety of ways,” Dann said, “Firstly, it’s a very generous scholarship that pays for a year of academics. Secondly, it helped me develop a research mind. I feel much more comfortable entering my field as an inquisitive, thoughtful professional, and it’s also empowered me to consider a terminal degree later on.”

With a goal of creating special education professionals and researchers whose focus is on understanding and exploring best practices for supporting people with disabilities, the Brehm Scholarship requires its recipients to participate in research partnerships with special education faculty members for one year, and to conduct their own research project.

Dann’s research project culminated in a master’s thesis describing how five speech-language pathologists view the development of self-advocacy in high school learners with autism spectrum disorder.

“Research is difficult, and it requires mentorship and a very intensive process,” said Dann, “Having been a member of that process, I now feel much more capable.”

Scholarship recipients must also attend the Annual Brehm Scholars Research Conference, which begins with an intensive three-and-a-half-day class to develop an understanding of research methods, create a research topic and agenda and cultivate a community of collaboration and support.

During the fall and winter semesters, Brehm Scholars meet to get assistance and support for their research, report progress and prepare for the Brehm Symposium and other events where their work will be disseminated.

Students studying in the fields of special education can apply or learn more at the by visiting the Brehm Scholarship site.

About The College of Education at Eastern Michigan University

Founded in 1849, The College of Education (COE) at Eastern Michigan University (EMU) continues to be one of the largest producers of educational personnel in the nation. The COE includes a comprehensive variety of programs at the bachelor, master and doctoral program level. Non-degree and certifications are also offered through the COE as well. The COE includes departments for teacher education, special education, and leadership & counseling. All of the professional education programs offered by EMU’s COE are accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) and are also approved by the Michigan Department of Education (MDE). The graduates the EMU produces are highly desired in the field, due to the strong reputation the COE has earned throughout their many established years. The COE has been recognized for its strong success rate by U.S. News and World Reports: America’s Best Colleges.