An Autobiography of Sorts...

As a young child I loved school. My mother often reminds me of how I would beg to go to school, even on the weekends throughout the summer. Something about the collision of the social and academic aspects was extremely appealing to me then, and the same is true now. Many educators have inspired me to pursue a career in education.

My first exposure to an educational environment was in my home. My mother worked for several years as a childcare provider and was constantly teaching the children under her care, including my siblings and me. We constantly read together as a family and even had mini spelling bees between my brother, sister and I. Her time was well spent and her instruction translated to immediate success in the first years of my schooling. The first teacher to impact me was Mrs. Reutter, my first grade teacher. An elderly woman, Mrs. Reutter was sweet, genuine and caring. She used friendly competition to encourage us to read and treated me to a coke at the local burger shop when I read the most pages. Her personal interest in my success is etched into my mind.

Although my middle school years were mostly uneventful, one teacher inspired me to pursue my personal interests. After a school-wide photography contest, Mrs. Colborn, my sixth grade teacher, praised my work and asked that I work with her on the yearbook staff. A professional photographer herself, Mrs. Colborn taught me so much about pursuing my passions because she hired me as a part-time employee for her new business. I began by following her around on photo shoots and altering lighting, but soon graduated to taking candid photographs of weddings and senior picture sessions with her second camera. She was also the director of the sixth grade play and gave me a lead role in the show, spurring my passion for drama and theater. Mrs. Colborn would go on to be my high school theater director and forensics coach, guiding me to several lead roles and many league and state titles throughout my career. My personal interests in photography and theater spurred from her encouragement and personal interest in my life.

Unlike my time in middle school, my high school years were anything but uneventful. I enrolled in advanced placement courses and soon started an accelerated course in order to graduate a semester early. While I performed well in the sciences, fine arts, and language arts, I struggled to find a discipline that captivated me. All of that changed my sophomore year when I began taking Spanish classes with Mrs. Moore. While other students followed along with her instruction, I made leaps and bounds as was quickly at the top of the class. Mrs. Moore allocated extra work for me and encouraged any venture that I wanted to attempt. Because of the small size of my high school, only Spanish One and Spanish Two existed. After speaking with administration, Mrs. Moore fought to establish a Spanish Three, a class with one student: me. The fact that Mrs. Moore negotiated to begin a class for me meant the world. I will never forget that Mrs. Moore desired that I be successful, and for that reason, I was successful. She inspired me to study Spanish at the university level.

I would be a fool to say that I made it through my career at Friends University alone. One professor, Dr. Jerry Smartt, has been my biggest fan, greatest encourager, and most earnest advocate at Friends. Her passion for the Spanish language is infectious. As a junior in high school, I visited Friends and met with Dr. Smartt to find out about the Spanish department. She spoke with such conviction and urgency, convincing me of the need for more Spanish speakers in the country. Before I even left her office I had already decided to pursue a Spanish Education major. At one point in my education I became so frustrated with the education program that I abandoned my dream of being a teacher and settled for a bachelor of arts in Spanish. When Dr. Smartt found out, she called me into her office and begged me to reconsider. When I couldn’t see the teacher in myself, Dr. Smartt did. Upon her request, I picked the major back up. The next semester I had an independent study with Dr. Smartt for the Spanish Methods and Practicum for Grades Pre-k through 6. During this course, I thought I did not have what it took to become an educator. I called Dr. Smartt, a nervous wreck, and she met me on campus, on a Saturday, even. That morning she spoke to me with the same conviction and urgency as the first time I met her and convinced me again that I would undoubtedly succeed, and even more, be great. Dr. Smartt is one of my biggest fans, and she reminds me on a weekly basis. I would not be the person or the educator that I am without her influence.

Looking back at the life-changing educators that I mentioned, one might notice that all of them are women. There is a serious lack of men in the public school system today. Many men have assumed either the roles of a laborer or a businessman. The lack of a male presence in my educational career has also spurred me to become an educator. Children need a positive male role model in their lives on a daily basis, and I see myself filling that position for many children who may lack one.

I think I have learned something about the education field through each of the afore-mentioned teachers. From Mrs. Reutter, I learned that a genuine and caring demeanor wins the love and trust of students. From Mrs. Colborn, I learned that a teacher does more than just promote success in their own discipline; they inspire their students to pursue their passions. From Mrs. Moore, I learned that fighting for a student’s success is never a lost cause. And from Dr. Smartt, I learned to never let a student doubt himself or give up on his dreams. I know that by following the example of the most incredible educators that I know, I will, as Dr. Smartt said, do more than succeed. I will excel.