Name: Courtney Johnson
Category: Undergraduate
Dr. Parker’s Quote: Your Relationship with God
Did you ever think that the greatest thing any man could ever be in the economy of God was to be a servant?
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Essay:
How can we better glorify God than to serve Him and His children? I truly believe that teaching is a calling, and I am confident in God's will for my life to serve Him by serving others. As an individual with a large heart and compassion for my fellow human beings, I have grown in this desire through numerous interactions within my community and communicating through prayer, seeking guidance from the Lord. My goal is to become an English as a Second Language teacher. There are so many students who are forgotten by the school system simply because of a lack of understanding. I am confident that I can positively impact my community by attaining my Bachelors degree in Teaching Spanish, and later my Masters degree in English as a Second Language education.
Students need reliable, intelligent teachers who are passionate about their work and truly care for them. I will dedicate myself to bettering young minds and preparing the youth for brighter futures while demonstrating Christ in my classroom. Especially because I plan to teach Spanish speaking students, I am confident that I can make a positive impact. By providing these students with an environment in which they can flourish, I will create opportunities for them that they have not yet experienced and a window into faith which they may not have otherwise known. The Latino population in Kentucky is increasing rapidly, implicating the need for cultural brokers to reach out to families and help them to navigate the foreign environment. As a bilingual teacher with the potential to have daily contact with students and their families who speak only Spanish, I will be able to fill that role and introduce them to many customs and to explain what is necessary for them to start a successful life here.
This past summer, I worked with a professor to design a curriculum that will begin this fall. We developed a plan that will continue to educate college students in the Spanish language, but will also provide service opportunities. Our goal is to develop bilingual skills in the Hispanic children in our Lexington community. So many students in Lexington Public Schools are failing only because they cannot communicate. The collegiate students will spend several hours a week mentoring the Hispanic students and they will work together to create a portfolio piece for the younger student that will provide evidence of proficiency in subjects when given aid in understanding the language.
This scholarship will provide funding for further study into the Spanish language so that I can better communicate, understand, and help my future students. While I have already had one study abroad experience, I now believe it is time for a study within. I am currently in the process of seeking independent study for a four-week period prior to graduation that will allow me to immerse myself in the Hispanic community in Lexington. So much focus has been put on learning the language during my college career that now I feel I must connect with those individuals whom I so desire to help. During my study, I hope to provide Hispanic students with individual tutoring, workbooks, and even basic necessities if that is what they need. I will have the opportunity to witness to my students about God's love for them, and introduce them to Him through serving their needs. As so many know, teaching is a difficult profession that does not pay well. Getting truly connected with my future students and my surrounding community will enable me to reach out to families and, hopefully, overcome some of the initial difficulties a rookie teacher must face.
Although I have known for a while that I want to become an English as a Second Language teacher, my work this summer has confirmed my career choice. I saw the intensity of the Hispanic students' desires to learn and witnessing their progress over just a few days' help was incredibly powerful. I now have concrete evidence that I am able to make a difference for these students, and I cannot wait to help others!
