Mrs. Haley Frischkorn, MVCSC English Language Coordinator, is one of three fortunate teachers in Hancock County to be selected for the Lilly Endowment Inc. Teacher Creativity Fellowship Program. This fellowship program provides a select few Indiana teachers up to $15,000 allowing them to explore new opportunities that will inspire them and help in their teaching career. The grant is to fund teachers a renewal project to be renewed in their students’ education and experiences in the classroom through their teaching. Frischkorn plans to visit notable sites in New Zealand with her family to see their imaginations come to life. She has titled this plan, “There and Back Again: A Teacher’s Tale- Reignite the imagination by journeying through Middle Earth.” 

As an avid fan of JRR Tolkien, Frischkorn plans to travel to well-known sites from The Lord of the Rings Trilogy. These include Tongariro National Park, to hike to “Mount Doom,” kayak the Pelorus River, otherwise known as the “Barrel Run”, and tour Hobbiton of Wellington — all in New Zealand. The trip is planned to take place over spring break in 2025, which in NZ, will be fall as it is located in the far southern hemisphere.

“I'm thrilled! Frischkorn shared, “It's a trip of a lifetime, and one we could never afford to take if we weren't gifted this grant opportunity. It's particularly special to me, as it involves my whole family. My oldest will be a senior next year; I'm so thankful to be awarded the grant for next year; to do this with the whole family is priceless.”

Frischkorn plans to document her travels with her family by creating their very own “short film”. She hopes to use the “short film” to help her family reminisce on the trip and bring their imagination back to what they experienced in real life. This makes the experience and memories never-ending. MVHS students will benefit by her renewed love of teaching and be inspired by her experiences.

Frischkorn also said, “Immersing myself in a good book, or traveling someplace I’ve never been reinvigorates me. Wandering through the beauty of worlds both imagined and real is a cathartic process, and this proposal brings both together in a way that energizes me even to think about it. It would be a privilege to go on this journey.”

Frischkorn is a highly admired educator at Mt. Vernon who has been working with English learners and their families since the completion of her master's in teaching English as a new language. She not only contributes to the Mt. Vernon Community,  she also leads professional development training for neighboring schools’ teachers and teaches adult English classes thanks to a community grant.

Frischkorn’s creativity, aspirations, and dedication are all factors that contributed to obtaining this incredible achievement. The Mt. Vernon students and staff are looking forward to the stories she will be sharing about this experience. Congratulations Mrs. Frischkorn!