Teaching for others

Fort Worth, TX

12/15/2009

By: Miguel Ortega, Schieffer School of Journalism

Going to college is not just about getting a degree to make money one day, but to find what a person is really passionate about. Jason Wallace is currently a graduate degree in educational administration at Texas Christian University and spent his undergraduate years at TCU studying advertising/public relations.

Wallace, locally from Fort Worth, has set high goals for himself ever since childhood.

“I wanted to be a CEO of a record label,” Wallace said about his big dream until he got to high school. “I knew the music business was real competitive, so I looked for something more realistic.”

“I want to do well because of her,” Wallace said about his 10-year-old sister, whom he considers the most influential person in his life. Wallace wants his little sister to see him succeed so that she can have a positive role model to follow. Wallace decided to take on a big challenge and attend TCU.

Wallace wanted to be more than just a regular student going to class, so he found himself being one of the most involved students on campus. As an undergraduate student, Wallace was a Frog Camp director, Connections mentor, member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, president of the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity and Black Student Association.

Wallace didn’t hesitate to say what his favorite part about TCU was, “Frog Camp.” “It brings together students from different areas of the school,” Wallace said. He said Frog Camp allows students with different backgrounds to become more diverse and allow everyone to feel comfortable at TCU.

Some people say that you make the best memories of your life in college and for Wallace his best memory was being nominated to become “Mr. TCU.”

“I was told I was nominated by a sorority on campus, but never expected to make it to the top five,” Wallace said. Wallace said that going to the parade and standing on the football field was special, because his classmates were the ones who voted him as a finalist.

The one thing that Wallace is most proud of is his bachelor’s degree, since he was the first person in his family to graduate college.

“It was a big deal for me,” Wallace said. “My entire family saw me graduate.” Wallace’s mother was so proud of her son, that she invited almost everyone they knew to his graduation.

While in college, Wallace met his role model, Anthony Johnson. Johnson is one of Wallace’s fraternity brothers with a doctoral degree in education. During Wallace’s senior year, Johnson told him to look into the graduate program of education at TCU.

“I realized teaching was my passion rather than advertising,” Wallace said. That’s when Wallace decided he would continue to stay in college to earn his master’s degree in educational administration.

With many education graduate schools around the United States, Wallace decided to stay at TCU instead of finding a different school.

“I really like this school and I didn’t feel like it was time to leave,” Wallace said. He said he wanted to stay in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, so he looked at other schools like Southern Methodist University, but didn’t like the fit. Wallace added that the TCU program was a better fit for him and helped him financially through scholarships.

This past summer, Wallace got an internship to work for Breakthrough in Miami, Fla. Wallace explained that Breakthrough was a program to help sixth grade middle school students get ahead with their studies during the summer and it is taught by college students.

“It was a great experience,” Wallace said. “It reminded me of Frog Camp small group activities that taught them life skills.” This experience also made Wallace sure about his career choice to become a teacher.

Wallace currently wants to teach middle school and later become a principal. However, Wallace said, “I want to change traditional education, specifically lectures, because they don’t seem to be really effective. Instead I want to take more field trips and play more games.” Wallace thinks that youngsters that age will probably learn more by having a hands-on experience versus lectures.

During Wallace’s first semester as a graduate student, he learned that “teachers are friendly and teach in their natural environment.” He felt that advertising was taught “by the book,” not allowing others to see how you really feel. Wallace said that graduate school is different than undergraduate studies.

“You have more independent work,” Wallace said. He doesn’t take any tests or quizzes. Wallace said he reads, writes and discusses reading topics and does a semester project.

“I find myself learning a lot more, because there is no pressure for grades,” Wallace said about his current classes.

Wallace thinks schools should be equipped with more male teachers.

“It is important for diversity and for the African-American role model,” Wallace said. He said that since he started school as a child, he has had only three male teachers and only one was African-American.

Wallace’s general impression about TCU is that it has a friendlier environment than other colleges, and it has a sense of pride that other colleges don’t have.

Wallace said people who are attending the graduate program who went to other schools for their undergraduate degree go to class and leave. There is not as much interaction between these students.

Many people never get to do a job they love, but Wallace is on his way to achieving what he wants.

“Earning a doctorate is my ultimate goal,” Wallace said. He is staying open to the option of obtaining that degree also at TCU.

Wallace said his friends would describe him as “goofy,” which he believes would make him a friendlier instead of a strict professor. Wallace said he wants to be remembered as someone who was positive and willing to help others achieve big things. Wallace is glad he found what he is really passionate about and hopes to have a successful career.