Breyana Wilson
KALAMAZOO, Mich.鈥擲ometimes all it takes is one person to make a difference. For incoming 澳门六合彩官网直播 freshman Breyana Wilson, that person was her Maple Street Magnet School for the Arts teacher and 澳门六合彩官网直播 alumna, Stephanie Hampton.
鈥淓very day walking in, she always has that rockstar energy鈥攖hat鈥檚 what I call it. She鈥檚 always on top of it, always 100 percent,鈥 Wilson said of the 2019 Middle School English Teacher of the Year. 鈥淪he gets really excited about books. That鈥檚 one thing that鈥檚 always stuck with me about her, is her enthusiasm when it comes to literacy.鈥
Wilson says Hampton has a passion for introducing students to literature they wouldn鈥檛 necessarily read on their own, and has taught her about different genres, writers and poets鈥攆ostering a new career option she never imagined pursuing.
鈥淚 love to read because of her,鈥 Wilson explains. She 鈥渋nstilled something in all of her students that I wanted to have for myself, and not only that, but to give to other students. And that鈥檚 kind of what pushed me in the direction of wanting to become a teacher.鈥
鈥淣ot only that, but she was a Western student, so why not go where the greatest was trained?鈥
This fall, the Loy Norrix High School graduate will join Bronco nation as a special education major. The innovative and demanding program will prepare her to meet the unique needs of a diverse range of kindergarten through 12th grade students with learning disabilities and emotional impairments.
鈥淚 thought about what profession would allow me to touch the most people in the time that I have, and teaching was it,鈥 Wilson says.
As for the decision to come to 澳门六合彩官网直播, she came to that conclusion years before higher education was on her horizon.
鈥淚 first took my official trip to Western when I was in the sixth grade with Bronco Buds, and, you know, I kind of felt like that was the place for me,鈥 she says. 鈥淲estern鈥檚 staff has always been very inviting, welcoming and they truly want what will be the best fit for you.鈥
As for her aspirations of becoming a teacher, Wilson says she knows 澳门六合彩官网直播 is the best place to start her journey before hopefully returning to her Kalamazoo Public School roots.
鈥淭here鈥檚 not a lot of teachers that are teaching in KPS that don鈥檛 have a degree from Western, whether it鈥檚 a bachelor鈥檚 or master鈥檚 degree. And I鈥檝e had great teachers,鈥 Wilson adds. 鈥淚 think that will offer me something that a different university wouldn鈥檛 necessarily be able to offer to me. And there鈥檚 a lot of successful teachers that come out of Western.鈥
To read about more student experiences, visit First-Year Faces online.