�̾��Ƶeducation graduate student earns inaugural Hosemann Family Autism Foundation Annual Scholarship

Close-up picture of Alexandra Brunner — Alexandra Brunner (Submitted photo)

STARKVILLE, Miss.—A College of Education first-year master’s student at Mississippi State is the first recipient of the Hosemann Family Autism Foundation Annual Scholarship.

Alexandra Brunner, an educational psychology/applied behavior analysis (ABA) master’s student, said that receiving the scholarship will make a huge difference when pursuing her degree as a behavior analyst.

“I was fortunate not to have any loans during my undergraduate degree,” Brunner said. “I was really worried about taking out loans for a graduate degree, but with this scholarship I will be one step closer to earning my degree and getting my certification in applied behavior analysis.”

The new scholarship was created by the Hosemann Family Autism Foundation and is awarded to graduate students studying and pursuing careers in ABA.

The nonprofit was established in 2017 by Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann, wife Lynn and their children to improve access to, and the quality of, the educational, therapeutic, medical and behavioral health-related services for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and their families in Mississippi.

Hallie Smith, Brunner’s advisor and assistant professor in MSU’s Department of Counseling, Educational Psychology and Foundations, said Brunner’s excellence in the program, both academically and professionally, merited her the award.

“Alexandra has not only excelled academically in the program, but she also takes advantage of all opportunities we offer to gain experiences,” Smith explained. “She has exceeded the expectations we have for our students, and her passion for ABA is contagious. We are so fortunate to have her in our program and can’t wait to see the impact she will have on behavior analysis in Mississippi once she completes her degree.”

Smith explained that student support like the Hosemann Family Autism Foundation Annual Scholarship is crucial to the ABA community so that more people can pursue higher education in the field.

“Our program is very appreciative to the Hosemann Family Autism Foundation for their generous support of students in our program,” Smith said. “Funding for graduate students at the master’s level is not easy to come by, and many times can be a significant barrier for prospective students. This scholarship and others like it are vital to the ongoing training and development of Board Certified Behavior Analysts in our state.”

Smith said with the state’s shortage of ABA training programs inherently comes a shortage of Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs), which ultimately translates to a lack of availability of ABA services to individuals and long waitlists.

A resident of Purvis, Brunner said that $5,000 scholarship specifically will help her during the summer sessions.

“As a mother of two, I’m already pulled in so many directions; having a program that’s completely online has helped me juggle everything,” Brunner said. “The online program and the Hosemann Family Autism Foundation Scholarship has made earning my degree a little bit easier.”

Candidates for the scholarship must be entering or continuing full-time graduate students pursuing a degree leading to a career as a practitioner of ABA, including the Master of Science program in educational psychology with a concentration in ABA and the doctoral program in school psychology. Priority is given to Mississippi natives and students with a stated desire to remain in the state after graduation.

Lt. Gov. Hosemann has been an advocate for individuals with autism and other intellectual disabilities throughout his career. He was instrumental in reforming Mississippi’s insurance laws to include coverage for autism treatment and the formation of the Mississippi Autism Board, tasked with licensing behavior analysts and assistant behavior analysts. In 2018, he received the Executive of the Year Award by Autism Speaks, the nation’s leading autism advocacy organization, for his efforts with advancing autism services in Mississippi.

The Hosemanns have publicly and privately supported autism-related efforts within the state for many years. At MSU, they have previously worked with Dan Gadke, director of MSU’s Autism and Developmental Disabilities Clinic, and Kasee Stratton-Gadke, director of the university’s T. K. Martin Center for Technology and Disability, to provide support for these two campus-based programs.

The foundation has awarded scholarships statewide to over 40 teachers for an introductory ABA online course at Holmes Community College that provides the skills necessary to effectively instruct children with autism and other developmental or behavioral disorders.

For more information about the Hosemann Family Autism Foundation Annual Scholarship or additional ways to support the university’s autism- and behavioral disorder-related support services, contact Trish Cunetto, director of development for MSU’s College of Education, at 662-325-6762 or tcunetto@foundation.msstate.edu.

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