As written by Ainsley Hall and published in The Journal on May 15, 2024
SHENANDOAH JUNCTION — Two students from Jefferson High School participated in the AmeriCorps Apprenticeship program through the Education Alliance.
Seniors Emilee Sager and Jonathan Pearson committed 100 hours of their time to help at Shepherdstown Elementary School and T.A. Lowery Elementary School.
Many students in Jefferson County are a part of the Grow Your Own program, which is a partnership between Jefferson County Schools, Blue Ridge Community and Technical College and Shepherd University that allows students to get real experience working in the classroom.
Students aspiring to be teachers join the program to make connections and learn more about teaching, but Sager and Pearson took it one step forward through the AmeriCorps Apprenticeship program.
Sager and Pearson are both passionate about teaching and working with kids. After learning about the apprenticeship opportunity, they both thought it would a great way to get a head start on their career.
“I enjoy having a job with kids,” Sager said. “Whenever I’m having a rough day, I can go in and just being around the kids makes me feel better. They change a hard day into a good day, and I’ve just always wanted to be a teacher.”
“I wanted to be a music teacher,” Pearson said. “I enjoy working with kids and have experience working with them, so I thought teaching music would be a good fit for me.”
They both learned a lot from working in the classroom. Sager shared that one of the main things she learned about was classroom management and how important it is for a teacher.
It’s something that only comes with experience but seeing it themselves now gave Sager and Pearson a better understanding of how to do it themselves.
“One thing that I learned a lot about was classroom management,” Sager said. “If you don’t have good classroom management, it can be harder for your students to learn and thrive. You must let them know what your expectations are and clearly explain what you want them to do.”
Not only are they getting experience in the classroom, but through county support, the Education Alliance and AmeriCorps, Sager and Pearson will receive a living allowance of $1,980 and an education award to use for college. Sager and Pearson plan to attend Shepherd University in the fall to pursue a degree in elementary education and music education, respectively.
Through this program, they are better prepared to face the next step in their education.
“I worked with college students sometimes, and oftentimes, none of them even notice that I’m not a college student,” Pearson said. “It’s really a great way to prepare for college.”
“It helped me feel more excited to go,” Sager added. “I got to dip my toes in and learn what it’s like. It motivated me to go and helped me get ahead.”