Savannah Oliphant is a teacher at East Washington Academy in the Muncie Community School system and a graduate of Ball State University. She is writing as a guest writer for the Daily News. Her views do not necessarily reflect those of the newspaper.

I have been teaching in the Muncie School District for two years now at East Washington Academy (EWA). I student taught first grade here with my mentor teacher Michelle Bergren. It was such a joy after student teaching to be selected as a first-grade teacher.

Muncie Community Schools (MCS) holds a special place in my heart, and I actually started my own education at EWA (when it was known as Washington-Carver), where I attended kindergarten. With that being said, as I grew up, Washington Carver always held a little piece of me.

When I finished school and decided what I wanted to be as an adult, I knew I wanted to help children.

I started my higher education at Ivy Tech Indianapolis where I got hands-on experience with Indianapolis Public School systems with the help of my directors Barbra Sanders and Andrew Buckle. They helped me realize that I was on the right track to be a teacher and that it was truly my calling.

Going to Ivy Tech Indianapolis also helped me realize that I wanted to work with students in lower socioeconomic-status communities. I wanted to work in these communities specifically so they could get the education opportunities that they deserve. I wanted to show them that you can accomplish whatever you put your mind to as long as you have a strong foundation, someone who believes in you and the confidence to believe in yourself.

While at Ivy Tech, as I did clinical experiences, every teacher I talked to told me Ball State is the place that I should go to finish my four years. My mentors let me know that it would be the best decision I would ever make with all the opportunities available.

When it came time to apply, Ball State was the first on my list, and I did the biggest happy dance when I got accepted. Ball State was truly an experience I won’t forget especially because I commuted daily and got to enjoy COVID-19 during my two years there!

I had so many professors who still remember me and so many professors who made such a huge impact on my career. I made so many teacher friends in the program as well who I still talk to.

Actually, Makenzie Parkinson and I went through the same program together, and we are both teachers here at East Washington Academy! Most of the people who I student taught with are still at EWA like Tiara Taylor and Makenzie Parkinson.

MCS has made a huge impact on my life as a student and as a teacher. I feel like I can finally repay those who have helped me find myself and figure myself out through the years.

I realized that I have always wanted to help children, and what better way than to help prepare them for their future and help make them successful? I feel like this is the best school cooperation that I could have been accepted into. There is so much support, and everyone gives so much for the students and so much for their teachers.

My principals and administrators who have been around since I have been here have challenged me but also encouraged me. They have guided me and assisted me and, overall, they have helped me grow and continue to grow into the teacher that I have always wanted to be.

Ball State built my foundation, and MCS has helped me build on being a strong teacher.

Contact Savannah Oliphant with comments at savannah.oliphant@muncieschools.org.

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