Veteran Survivor & 1st Gen Grad: Support my calling to Teach

My name is Whitney, and I am currently pursuing a Master’s in Teaching at the University of Southern California, focusing on high school English. After much prayer and complete submission, I am stepping out in faith to obey the calling I believe God has placed on my life, which is to teach the next generation to not only excel in their studies but also to feel supported and advocated for by someone in their lives that can love them like Jesus Christ calls us to love. We all hopefully have a teacher that stood out in our lives and I hope to become the type of teacher that inspires, in a world that is lacking strong educators.

A big part of my love for literature comes from my dad, who was a Vietnam veteran. We shared a special bond through books and public libraries, and those moments together shaped my desire to teach. My dad passed away from complications related to his service, but his influence continues to guide me as I work toward becoming a teacher. Our lives were far from easy as he struggled with health complications from Agent Orange. Throughout my childhood, my dad’s health issues left our family homeless and bouncing from a trailer park to a homeless shelter.

Despite the obstacles in life, I recently became the first in my family to graduate receiving my Bachelors of Arts in English in December. We lost my dad due to agent orange complications and unfortunately he was never able to see me graduate with a degree that shared our love of literature. During my education, I worked tirelessly at at least one full time job all throughout my education but unfortunately am unable to do that while attending the Masters program at USC. As part of my program, I will be student teaching for 28 hours each week without pay, making it impossible to maintain a full time job alongside my studies. Without parental help or financial aid for being a graduate student, I am fully responsible and alone on tuition expenses and living expenses. The financial strain of tuition and the cost of books is significant, and I am reaching out for support to help cover these essential expenses. Every contribution will go directly toward my education, allowing me to focus on becoming the best teacher I can be for my future students. I currently volunteer in the children’s ministry at my local church because I truly just want every child to know that they are valued and significant beyond measure.

Your support will help me continue this journey and make a lasting impact in the classroom. Thank you for considering being part of my story and helping me invest in the next generation.

God bless️️