Teaching

I don't recall exactly when I began wanting to be a teacher.  My grandmother was a teacher.  I remember how proud I was, at age 4, to stand on her desk at school and be introduced to her class.  Perhaps that's when I first wanted to be a teacher.  Maybe it began when I read the "Little House" books.  In any case, whenever I thought of what I would do when I grew up, I thought I would spend at least some time teaching.

Life took its twists and turns and initially I did not enter the educational field.  After a few years in the business world, however, I wanted to do something "meaningful."  I decided to pursue a Master's degree and my dream of teaching.

I approached my first days of teaching with some apprehension.  One never knows how one's dreams of something will compare to reality.  Could I really do it?  Fortunately, my first week was fantastic.  I LOVED it!  Certainly it is a challenging job.  But what can compare to seeing a student "get it"?  Or watching their lives change for the better, in part because of what they learn from you?


Over time, I've learned that teaching doesn't just happen in the classroom.  As I've taken students on retreats, marches, and overseas, I've had a chance to listen to students open up about their lives in ways that don't happen in the classroom setting.  I'm always amazed by the teachable moments that come from those interactions.


Teaching is exhausting work - physically, emotionally, and spiritually - but it is certainly rewarding work!

Steubenville

Steubenville, Ohio sits on the banks of the Ohio River, on the border of West Virginia, just under 40 miles from Pittsburgh.  Once a booming steel town, the early 1900's saw the development of lovely homes on a hill overlooking the Ohio River.  Alas, economic expansion came with the price of putrid air and water.  When steel left Steubenville, the air and water became cleaner, but what remains of the city is run-down buildings and a largely unemployed population of some 20,000.  
 In 1946, when steel mills were still booming, Franciscan friars opened a college in Steubenville in response to the GI Bill.  The little college grew, but was besieged with many of the problems other college campuses faced in the late '60s and early '70s.  In 1974, just as the college was about to close its doors, Fr. Michael Scanlan was appointed president of the college.  He decided to make the school's Catholic identity the primary focus of his efforts.  He believed that the problems students faced could be addressed by a variety of faith initiatives.  Over time, through his efforts and the efforts of countless other dedicated souls, the college grew to become highly respected in Catholic circles, both at home and abroad.  Today, over 2,000 students - from all 50 states and from some 50 countries - are enrolled at Franciscan University of Steubenville.  The university offers a wide variety of majors and six graduate degrees.  


I am proud to be an alumna of this fine institution.  More than that, I am eternally grateful to God for leading me to it.  My time as a student in Steubenville was truly extraordinary, and I would not be the person I am today if I had not studied at Franciscan University.


Update:  Read the story of the University's turnaround, as told by the president responsible, here.