“Before God calls us to do the big things, we may need to do the ordinary things in an extraordinary way,” said Mindy Agee, University of Mobile alumna.
Many people attend college to get an extraordinary job and change the world. However, there are many ordinary jobs that have potential to change everything. Teaching is a job that can change the lives of many. When done by dedicated teachers who want to inspire future minds, teaching can become one of the most extraordinary jobs.
The University of Mobile School of Education provides students with over two years of real-world field experience to ensure their success. Agee says UM prepared her for what life as a teacher would be like and what to expect when she first walked into a classroom.
She uses the knowledge she gained when attending the University of Mobile to teach students through literature how to become people who make a difference. She replicates many of the conversations and experiences she received from her professors to teach and show students that teachers do care about them.
“Your job may be about teaching content, but it is more about teaching people,” Agee said.
As a teacher, you do more than instill knowledge into young minds, she said. You teach them how to be extraordinary people. Teachers encourage, enlighten and inspire young minds to be the best versions of themselves. They have the power to make a difference in the world — even by inspiring just one student.
Agee has been a teacher for 14 years. She graduated from UM in 2008 as a secondary education major with a concentration in English. She currently teaches English and dual enrollment at Washington County High School in Chatom, Alabama. She also co-sponsors the WCHS student government and created the 30 Club, which recognizes students who score 30 or higher on one or more sections on the ACT.
Photo by Sydney Snow
Sydney Snow is a University of Mobile 2022 graduate with a double major in English and Strategic Communications and a minor in Spanish. During her senior year, Sydney interned with UM’s Office for Marketing and Public Relations. Today, she works at the South Alabama Regional Planning Commission with the Employment and Economic Development Services department. Her focus is on the Senior Community Service Employment Program.