History Education Major

What's your favorite thing about working at Greenville College?

I'm a graduate of Greenville College, but didn't fully appreciate my experience until arriving at a large state school for my graduate degree. There, I saw that as long as students were getting passing grades, and staying out of trouble with the law, they could do anything ... ANYTHING they wanted. I also saw that the professors invested themselves in their graduate students, and let the graduate students supervise the undergrads. I resonated with a friend of mine who compared Christian Liberal Arts colleges to a family, and large state universities to orphanages. When I was a student at Greenville, several of my professors invested themselves personally in me, both inside and outside the classroom. A professor I never even had for class, opened his home to me for the summer. I can never repay them, but I can pay it forward.

I love becoming personally involved in the lives of my students. They never cease to amaze me with their creativity, abilities and interests. History Education grads have taught in Paraguay, Thailand, and Guam, but also St. Louis, Chicago and Normal.

What attracted you to the Education Department, and how do you use it outside of the classroom?

I came to Greenville focused on being an Education major. I had grown up in South America with missionary parents, and wanted to return there after graduating. The best way to do that was to return to teach at the same school for missionary kids that I had attended most of my life. So I majored in History Education at Greenville, and returned to teach there for two years. Eventually, I returned to the States for graduate school and decided to teach at the College level.

Teaching at a small college allows me to be a jack-of-all-trades. I have realized the advantages of teaching broadly, in other areas of history, as well as in other disciplines. I've been able to develop my other areas of interest by teaching courses in geography, anthropology and missiology. In fact, I've been able to use opportunities through a Fulbright scholarship to teach methods classes at universities in Paraguay and in Nicaragua. My interest in Latin America and in travel have led me to organize mission trips and study-abroad opportunities for Greenville students and faculty in Guatemala, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Paraguay and Israel.

My main hobby is reading. My family and I spent the last year in Lithuania. we have three children and another on the way.

What's your favorite thing about working at Greenville College?

Greenville College has always held a special place in my heart. Before becoming employed with Greenville College, I have worked with GC for many years in a variety of partnerships. In 2009, I accepted the role of Dean of the School of Education and Director of Online Learning and have been pleased to be able to be a part of a wonderful learning organization.

I love the service aspect of my job. It is truly an awesome experience to see that the planning and provisions made for students allow them to be the best they can be. Education, especially when provided from a Christian perspective, does truly change lives. Christian educators have the ability to change the world, one person at a time, through demonstrating God's love in the classroom, whether face-to-face, or online.

What attracted you to the Education Department, and how do you use it outside of the classroom?

I have long felt a call to serve others through education. My passion for working in education with adults came as a volunteer as a literacy tutor for an ESL student. My first ESL student taught me far more than I taught her. And, I am forever grateful to her for broadening my thinking on what education was and what education can afford. It has been my goal since that experience to provide a venue where students could explore and grow in their learning.

I continue to seek new ways to serve others through combinations of Education and Online Learning. I do this through providing presentations at regional and national conferences on a variety of issues in education and the use of technology in teaching and learning. I am also extremely interested in mission work. I have led groups of educators to provide professional development and other service projects to a mission school outside of Mexico City since 1996. It is an awesome experience to be part of God's work through missions.

What's your favorite thing about working at Greenville College?

As an alum, GC has always held a special place in my heart. When I was initially hired on the faculty one of the first things I experienced was the faculty coming together in prayer over the existing/new students and their families. When I was a student here, I hadn't really contemplated that I was entering a community that was already in prayer and expectation over me. Community isn't merely a place to us; it is a way of being with one another.

What attracted you to Education, and how do you use it outside of the classroom?

I was originally interested in entering Medicine. After a practicum experience with a doctor, I felt strongly that God was leading me in another direction. After some time of seeking, I realized that the great pleasure I felt from the experiences I had as a Teaching Assistant (during grad school) and a Lab Assistant (at GC) was an indicator that Education was the path I should take. I have never regretted this decision! I love that I get the opportunity to engage with young people for at least a year, building relationships that equip and empower them for future action. The field of Education has also been very good to me. I have had opportunities to teach in day and boarding schools, in the U.S. and overseas.