After earning her bachelor’s in Biology from Tuskegee University in 2014, Ashlyn Goodwin returned to her high school alma mater to teach. She had planned to only teach for a few years as a break from school before pursuing the requirements for a career in dentistry. The problem? She fell in love with education.
“I never thought I’d stay in education this long, but after I got in the classroom, I felt like I came to life. I love working with teenagers and young adults – mentoring them and making science fun for them,” she said. Inspired by her own Selma High School biology teacher, Dr. Chasity Green, Ashlyn decided to make this passion her career, and her mom told her it was time to advance her education.
When it came to earning her master’s in Secondary Education with Science certification, Ashlyn knew exactly which institution she wanted to attend — The University of Alabama. Her mother had earned her bachelor’s from Tuskegee and master’s from UA, so why not continue that legacy? She knew the UA College of Education’s reputation would offer her credibility in her career, but that prestige was also intimidating. Ashlyn was apprehensive about transitioning from a historically black college to another institution because of the difference in class sizes. “I was concerned about being just a number at a larger school, especially as a distance student,” she said.
This apprehension held Ashlyn back from applying for several years, until she met with faculty and staff from the College of Education. “They welcomed me with open arms and counseled me on what steps I needed to take to get my application up to par for acceptance,” she said. In August of 2018, she began the program while continuing to teach full-time.
Ashlyn said the faculty who oversee the program, Drs. Cynthia and Dennis Sunal, were knowledgeable, experienced and always helpful. But she says she wouldn’t have made it through the program without the help she got from her faculty adviser, Dr. Jonathan Shemwell, and the graduate coordinator, Ms. Dawn Bryant. “Dr. Shemwell had such an impact on me. He taught me how to write a proper email to professors, and I still use that format for everything I do today! Ms. Bryant was the first person I interacted with when I visited and the last person I interacted with at graduation, and she was awesome. They both helped me a great deal.”
Even with five years of classroom experience before beginning the program, Ashlyn said the master’s coursework has enhanced her teaching abilities. “I learned so much about teaching, education, socioeconomic backgrounds and the teacher-student relationships and dynamics. It’s helped me better relate to my students, parents, staff and administration. I enjoyed it, and I learned a lot.”
With Dr. Shemwell’s help, Ashlyn was able to finish the program by December 2019 when she participated in UA commencement. Because of the advanced certification, her graduation led to a pay raise and to another opportunity she’s looking forward to. Ashlyn believes her master’s from UA helped set her apart for a summer educational initiative through Edmundite Missions where she will be able to teach and mentor local underprivileged youth. “I want to continue furthering my education with an EdD or PhD eventually, and my experience was so good with my master’s, there’s no place but UA for me!”
“People get discouraged once they start working. They think, there’s no way I can go back to school now… but I want to show people that you can do both! There are opportunities out there like this that can help. I don’t feel like I learned any less as an online student than someone who sat in a classroom. It took me five years before applying, but I’m thankful I did! I’m so glad to be part of the UA family.”
Published: August 31st, 2020