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“I’ve changed my
major so many times that Enrollment Services loves me,” laughs
Emily Jones, aged 20 and an Early Childhood Education (ECE)
major.
“I was thinking about med school, so I wanted to major in
chemistry at first. I also looked into Dalton State’s new
Bachelor of Science in Biology degree because I thought I might
want to teach high school science. But after I took some
education courses, I decided that I wanted to teach elementary
school.
“I really love the idea of interacting with young kids. When you
teach them something and see how excited they are, you realize
what a rewarding field this is to be in.”
Jones will enter Block 1 of the ECE program this fall, which
will provide her with two days of classroom experience in area
schools each week.
A Dalton native and graduate of Dalton High School, Jones is
likely to run into other family members on the days when she’s
actually on campus this fall. Her sister Sarah will be an
entering freshman and her mother, Jennifer, who is a licensed
practical nurse (LPN), is taking courses toward her Registered
Nursing degree.
Unlike her sister, Jones didn’t choose to come to Dalton State
right out of high school.
“When I graduated from high school in 2005, I spent a year at
Dalton and then transferred to Wesleyan College, a girls’ school
in Macon, Georgia. But I decided that it wasn’t the right fit
for me. So I transferred back home.” |
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Here, Jones has jumped
in with both feet in terms of her involvement as a Peer Mentor
and Supplemental Instruction Leader through the College’s Peer
Instruction Program.
“It’s been a lot of fun,” she says. “The program is very student
driven, which gives us the chance to be involved in every aspect
of the program.”
The Peer Instruction Program utilizes qualified student aids who
serve as peer tutors either through optional Supplemental
Instruction (SI) classes or on an individual need basis. All
services are provided free of charge. Students who are
experiencing academic challenges or just need a little extra
help can come to Academic Resources in the Pope Center to request any of
those services.
Academic year 2007-2008 was the initial year for the Peer
Instruction Program, and participation soared from fall to
spring, from around 250 students in the fall to 436 in the
spring. This summer, the program serviced 276 students.
Jones credits the success of the program to its student-driven
philosophy and word of mouth.
“We started out last year with our director, Jody Trost, telling
us what needed to be done,” Jones recalls. “We modified the
program and found ways to help her with her tasks so that she
would have fewer minute details to worry about. We found ways to
keep up with the paperwork and with documenting the numbers of
students who are in the program.
“As one of the three Peer Mentors, I help coordinate students’
schedules, making sure that students have time to attend their
classes and also have time to attend the optional Supplemental
Instruction classes that are offered for some of the more
difficult courses.
“Jody liked our ideas and supported the student-driven concept
from the beginning,” she adds. “It shows what can happen when
you give students ownership of the program. They’ll stick with
it and they’ll want to be even more involved.”
Because the Peer Instruction Program has had such a successful
year, Jones says, the three student Peer Mentors have been
invited to speak at several retention conferences during the
past few months.
“It’s been really awesome. Every time we’ve done a presentation
we’ve been inundated with questions. People are so interested in
the student-driven program and how we got it started. They
bombard us with questions.”
Once she graduates, Jones expects to teach somewhere in the
northwest Georgia area and will pursue a master’s degree “down
the road.”
In the meanwhile, Jones is enjoying college life, spending time
with sisters Sarah and Abbey, and working with the Peer
Instruction Program.
“Overall my experience here has been really great. And having
the experience of working on campus really helps you get to know
your classmates. I highly recommend it.”
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