“Some may say I’m a dreamer…but I’m not the only one…”~ John
Lennon
Very soon I will depart for a new chapter in my life. A new world that is scary and exciting at the
same time: The Metro-Plex. After five
years of blood, sweat, and tears I recently finished my doctorate and I will
begin my first job in higher education at the University of Texas at Arlington. I go from teaching at a high school of 600 to
teaching at a college of over 30,000. I
have an apartment lined up and my office is being prepped for my loads of books,
pictures and diplomas. The nervousness
and butterflies have started and the realization of the magnitude of this
change in my life. But with nervousness
comes great excitement. My fear does not
stem from the feeling of wondering if I am making the right move. I have wanted
to work in academia for over 20 years. I
have 100% assurance that I can do the job and I have been “called” into this second
career at this stage of my life.
Some feel the call to ministry, others to foreign diplomacy
or politics, social work, medicine, or military service. Some feel the call to
teaching and make that their life’s work.
My calling involves teaching, but it is much deeper. I have the gift of encouragement and a love
for science that was reflected in my 21 years of teaching. I want to share that gift with the current and
future teachers of science and mathematics, the gatekeepers of our nation’s
students who will maintain our innovation and help us persevere as one of the
most powerful countries in the world. I
want to help inspire students to become the future scientists, astronauts, and
doctors that we will need for the next generation.
I also am for the underdog.
I always have been. If I had
lived in Europe in World War II I would have been killed for helping the
Jews. I would have been a staunch
abolitionist calling for an end to slavery during the Civil War. I would have marched with the women who
demanded the right to vote. Finally, I
would have helped sustain the civil rights movement of the 1960’s with great fervor.
But those times have passed. How can I
make a difference right now? I still support the rights of the underdog and the
downtrodden. In the fields of Science,
Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM), that primarily includes
females and minorities. I could write
for days about why they need advocates at every level, but there is not room in
this blog. Let me just say that there is a
great need for America to produce more engineers and scientists and we need to
develop them from within our own schools.
I sometimes feel I have no power to make changes in racism
and discrimination in America, although I long for a way to get involved. So I have chosen this field to enable female
and African-American scientists, engineers, and STEM teachers to find their
calling and make a difference. My gift
to them is empowerment: the ability to prosper
in a field that is exciting, lucrative, and beneficial to the world in numerous
ways. Empowerment, hope, and encouragement
through education is my way of changing the face of racism and discrimination
for the underdogs of our world.
Will I change the world as much a march, a rally, or a picket
sign? I am not sure, but I know I am doing my part to help the next generation
build a better world. This is my life’s
mission…my calling.
Maybe I am naïve, idealistic, or a dreamer, but I have a
feeling I’m not the only one. Pray for
me as I enter this brave new world of opportunity and change.
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