Elizabeth Foreman

My educational goal is to learn everything I can to better public education for all students. My interest in public education began my freshman year of my undergraduate career. To say I was struggling would be an understatement. I was academically unprepared, and lacked the academic stamina to catch up. During my four years at Virginia Tech I realized that many students had the same issue I did. Their public schools had not prepared them for the academic challenges around every corner in college. I felt robbed, and cheated, because I worked hard in high school and was still unprepared. I decided to dedicate a year of my life to being a teacher in a rural town in Honduras. While working in Honduras I saw students in poverty who were able to competently read and write in two language. I was astounded. My experience in Honduras made me realize that we do not have high enough expectations for our students in The United States. I then became part of the organization The New Teacher Project. They placed me in a school as a bilingual kindergarten teacher and gave me the skills to create a rigorous learning environment. My time as a bilingual teacher has showed me that with the right goals and skills we can give our students the tools they need to be successful in college and career. My mission is share this mentality with all teachers. If our teachers have the right skills their students will be successful and happy.