A WSU doctoral candidate will be leaving Pullman for three months to conduct research for his capstone project in Singapore as a recipient for the Fulbright Distinguished Awards in Teaching.

Andrew Scheef, a doctoral candidate studying special education, was one of 17 people chosen nationally for this international exchange program.

Scheef will work with the Early Childhood and Special Needs Education department at the National Institute of Education-Nanyang Technological University.

“The main focus will be programs that help prepare secondary students with disabilities for the transition to post-high school life,” Scheef said.

Students are chosen based on their academic and professional achievement as well as demonstrated leadership in their fields, said James Lawrence, a representative from the Fulbright Program, in a press release.

Scheef said he is very interested in learning more about programs that help students on the autism spectrum or those who have a cognitive or physical impairment.

Singapore is taking a stand for children with disabilities by establishing new programs so that they will be able to enter the workforce and hold a job successfully, which is why Scheef is interested in the area. 

He plans to visit schools and employers and observe their job placement techniques, training and support for students with disabilities.   

After he is done, he hopes to learn how Singapore supports its students to contribute as society in a meaningful way as adults so that he can bring back this knowledge to the United States and help his own students.

 “Learning how the schools in Singapore support and evaluate their students with disabilities will allow me to reflect on my own practices and make changes to better support my students,” he said.

Teaching was always in Scheef’s future.

Even before high school, he liked helping others and had a “good temperament for it,” Scheef said. 

Scheef said he was inspired to teach by his parents, who were teachers when he was growing up.

In the process of getting his Ph.D., Scheef currently works for the Moscow School District and WSU’s College of Education.

“I am helping to prepare some students for college while with other students I work on basic life skills to help them live as independently as possible after they leave high school,” said Scheef.

He also works as a TA for an online course at WSU for students earning their special education credentials.   

“The course material specifically focuses on teaching secondary students with disabilities and facilitating their post-school transition,” Scheef said.

Scheef and his family are looking forward to experiencing Singapore’s life and culture.

Traveling gives his family a time to reflect on their own culture and gain new perspectives on life.

His wife Keri McCarthy, a professor in WSU’s music department, and his two sons enjoy trying new food and the unpredictability each day has to offer, he said.