Spire Spring 2018

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Alumna Jennifer Brewster: Helping Kids Love to Learn

More than likely, your favorite teacher in school was the one who made learning fun – the one who taught you to love learning. When Jennifer Brewster was a substitute teacher in a third-grade classroom in Tazewell County, Virginia, she said, “A little boy kept asking me to read things for him, telling me he couldn’t read. ‘Well, why don’t you just try,’ I said. ‘Show me what you can do.’ And he started reading, and I said, ‘Who told you that you can’t read? Because you can read beautifully.’ He said, ‘My teacher told me I can’t read.’” That was one of the many times, Brewster said, she felt like God was telling her, “This is why you need to be a teacher.” Students, she added, need a teacher who encourages them and helps them learn to love what they are doing. “I’d always wanted to be a teacher since I was little, but I didn’t have any type of certification or degree,” said Brewster. “So that was one of the moments that helped me to finally realize it was time to step out and pursue my dream.” Her husband, Mark, a 1982 Bluefield College graduate, encouraged her the most, suggesting that she inquire with BC. Their boys, Scott and Morgan, were getting older, so he told her, “Go back and do it now. There is no better time. You’ve always wanted to do this, and you know we can’t have three in college at the same time.” “I went over to Bluefield with no appointment,” recalled Brewster. “I just walked in and said I wanted to talk to someone about starting college. When I left there, I had my class schedule for the fall. It was so easy and nothing like I had expected. So, it was my time to further my education. At the age of 38, I went to college.”

Alumna Jennifer Brewster (‘08) is fulfilling her calling to teach, thanks to the training she received at Bluefield College.

Brewster’s parents moved to Bluefield to help with the kids, while she pursued a bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies with teacher licensure for elementary education. She completed the program in three-and-a-half years as a full-time traditional student, graduating in 2008 with memberships in the Alpha Chi National Honor Society and the Pi Lambda Theta Honor Society for Educators. “The staff and faculty were all so friendly and nice. It was like family,” said Brewster. “I made friends, and I was even in a few of my classmates’ weddings. What makes Bluefield College so special is the togetherness. Everyone works together like family.” Dr. Thomas Brewster, dean and associate professor of BC’s School of Education, said, “We are especially proud of students like Jennifer who chose Bluefield College’s Teacher Education Program after developing their passion to be a teacher from prior experiences. Stackable licensure and credentials give our students the opportunity to advance within the field of education, providing continuous learning and added financial incentives.”

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