Farewell

This has been quite the journey. Almost two years ago exactly I began this program and had high ambitions. Now as I near the finish line, I have not only met and achieved all those goals I set before my when starting my M.S but created higher benchmarks for myself in the process.

I lost my son summer 2016 before the program began for me in January 2017. I was in a state of deep depression that in part affected my life as it stands today. My honest reasoning behind enrolling in my M.S. was to try it but most importantly, use some of the financial aid to keep me afloat since I lost my job and my family in the same year. I was just planning to do aa semeste and use that extra cash to stay alive. Rent was due. Bills were piling up. I didn't qualify for a non-predatory loan, and I was in no mental condition to be around anyone or anything.

However, GOD knew what he was doing. I recently fell in love with the ECE field and shyed away from it after my son's death. However, I became deeply entrenched in my work and my studies and became very interested and knowledgeable of how to be a better teacher. One semester went to two then three then a year passed and now I am currently enrolled to begin my EdS in November.

There was a plan laid out of my life that found me. I learned from life that no matter how much control you feel you have over your life, life happens the way it's supposed to. As a religious person of faith, I believe that GOD won't put you through anything you can't get out of.  Not only do I have a testimony, I have clarity, a lucrative career, two degrees, and on the road to my third.

This program has allowed me to stop wading through the water of not knowing my life plan and find my career as an advocate for early childhood education, multi cultural education, and decoding social stigma and stereotype.

My long-term goal is to work for The United States Department of State under the umbrella that works with education and global outreach. I currently am in Thailand and will be leaving to teach in Costa Rica with a language center to businesses that do trade with US imports.

This course has been an amazing experience. This program has been an amazing experience. I hope to see all Walden Alumni do amazing things and hope to see you all in Tampa January 19th.

Lastly, thank you to all my professors for your hard work and dedication. I was pushed to limits I did not know I had and am thabkful for the opportunity to have learned from amazing pioneers as yourselves.

My email is chanel.west14@gmail.com should you want to connect.

Good luck to all on your personal journey

International Career Options

International organizations that would be an amazing career options include:

The Ministry of Education in Panama
http://www.meduca.gob.pa

USAID (United States Agency for International Development)

https://www.usaid.gov

WHO (World Health Organization)

http://www.who.int/gender-equity-rights/news/rights-child-convention-anniversary/en/

Currently, I work in Chanthaburi, Thailand as part of an initiative by the Thai government to bring more Westernized teaching practices to Thailand and encourage more English proficiency within the Thai community.

Afterwards, I will be working on behalf of the USAID in Panama for a two year project in doing something similar as I am in Thailand, but training teachers best practices on teaching early childhood education to decrease the education deficit in the country. The project is also an initiative to promote more English language proficiency to promote a stronger economy that can compete in the global economy.

A similar project is occurring in Pakistan where the government of Pakistan is recruiting native English teachers to help develop a curriculm that would better educate Pakistani teachers with methodology to best promote quality education.

http://idd.edc.org/projects/usaid-teacher-education-project

These international positions are where I feel I will stay to advance my career. It's my passion to teach and travel while bridging cultures and engaging in new environments. These positions also allow me me to use my knowledge and expertise to not only educate children of underserved communities but give back my knowledge to a group of potential educators that otherwise would not have it.

These positions often require international travel experience, teaching experience, as well as some multi lingual abilities. While I am conversational in Spanish and Mandarin, I am aiming to be fluent to have more mobility in the positions I am qualified to apply for. These positions also require an open mind and ability to adapt to different cultures and communities- often living below Western standards. These have the ability to take a toll on the health and well-being of an applicant mentally, physically, and emotionally.

I am thankful for Walden University for giving me the knowledge and skills I needed as an edge up to better myself to be a leader in global education. Before my degree, I had little knowledge and experience working with students in an effective and healthy way. Now, I am not only confident in my abilities but my abilities to train others to do the same.