May 2020: Special education major wants to ‘be more than a teacher’
Jasia Clark
From: Athens, Georgia
Major: Special education. The passion I have for my future career is sometimes hard to put into words. Education wasn’t always my first choice. Originally, I wanted to grow up and pursue a profession in the medical field. It wasn’t until middle school that I truly started to realize the impact of a teacher and just how important they are. I’ve always stated that I want to be more than just a teacher. I want to be an educator. I want to provide students with more than just standards and curriculum but also life lessons that go beyond the classroom. This profession allows me to make a difference. I will be able to fill young minds with information. I will create lifelong learners. I will give students the tools they need to be successful. I will give children the one thing that cannot be taken away from them – knowledge! And knowledge is power!
Why Georgia College: It was, honestly, a last-minute choice. I wanted to attend a school that wasn’t too far from home or too large. I toured Georgia College and decided that exact day– this was my college.
Activities: During my time at Georgia College, I’ve been involved in a number of clubs and organizations. Freshman year, I completed the Servant Leadership Cohort and participated in Best Buddies. I am also a member of the Council for Exceptional Children, Black Student Alliance, Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society, and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Additionally, I’ve had the honor of serving the community through different bullying prevention initiatives. I started L.O.V.E (Lending Our Voices Everyday), while in high school. L.O.V.E. is an organization that works to prevent and bring awareness to bullying, while empowering youth to use their voice. The GIVE Center and Baldwin County School District has been so supportive in letting me continue my initiative here in Milledgeville over the past four years. Some of the opportunities included speaking to the district’s leadership and presenting at Oak Hill Middle School and Georgia College Early College.
Best memory: April 22, 2018! On this day, I reintroduced myself to the campus as a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Becoming a member of this organization was a dream come true. It was truly a blessing being able to share that joy with the campus, my family, and friends.
How did college change you? College has provided me with many life lessons. I have grown in my ability to balance my time, see and understand the perspective of others, and my willingness embrace change. College has made me stronger, more fearless and brought a lot of phenomenal people into my life.
How are you coping with the coronavirus pandemic? Senior year came to an abrupt end. I did not expect to lose the opportunity of saying goodbye to my Georgia College family, and I didn’t know March 13th would be the last day I saw my students in the classroom. In order to cope with this change, I am writing letters to different professors, mentors and the students from my student teaching internship and thanking them for helping me prepare for my profession.
Future plans: I’ve begun interviewing with different schools for a teaching position. I am looking forward to starting my career as an educator and having a classroom of my own. Additionally, I have applied for the College of Education’s Curriculum and Instruction graduate program and will start pursuing my master’s degree.