Why did I choose this school?

This school comes highly recommended by several members of my church (New Covenant Fellowship) who have visited or worked with this school during the past year. I applied to the school with support and recommendations from my pastor (Ron Simpkins) and student teaching supervisor and have received and accepted an offer to teach middle school and high school science starting in August 2007. This job would allow me to use my Bachelor of Science in biology, IL state certification in secondary education, recently completed Master’s Degree in Geomicrobiology (with a focus on coral reef diseases), undergraduate research on outdoor education, experience studying Spanish, and potentially my past experience in coaching soccer and rock climbing. The skills I have to offer seem to be exactly what this school is in need of at the moment. I am also personally in need of a job where I can talk openly about what Christ has done in my life, explore my passion for teaching, and spend quality time with children of all ages. I see this opportunity as a way of serving others, but also as an important step toward a career in third world development. I strongly believe that to solve third world problems, I need to develop a deep understanding of life and people in a third world country.

I am excited to be working in a supportive environment dedicated to innovative teaching with a focus on service and community projects that will allow me to refine my skills in Spanish, teaching, and deepen my understanding of other cultures and the needs of the third world. My dream is to use all of the various forms of education I have been blessed with to find a job that will allow me to work in international development. I see the next two years in the Dominican Republic as another key step in God’s plan for my life and a period of growth, learning, and hopefully making a difference in the lives of the students I will be teaching.