Excellence is a standard, Not an achievement for student veteran advocate Rose Smith
One of the greatest parts about being an online college teacher is getting to work with America’s active-duty military and military veterans. Teaching in the virtual world allows me to reach these folks on their terms—deployed or stateside. And while the statement is now a part of our American fabric to the point of almost being trite at times, we must all remember that freedom is not free. Our brave men and women of the United States Armed Forces sacrifice in ways that most people cannot even imagine, and so do the families and loved ones who support them. Therefore, these students often have needs that only other military members or veterans can understand and combat. And that’s where this Clever Chica comes into view.
An Air Force Reservist since 2015, Clever Chica Rose Smith was trained as a biomedical equipment technician, which is also her full-time civilian career with the Mayo Clinic in Minneapolis. Already working full time and serving in the US Air Force Reserves, this dynamic spirit is also attending Colorado State University — Global Campus. She is pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Healthcare Administration and Management. As you might, by now, expect, she’s a leader in her classes, just as she is on the job and in her Reservist duties.
In addition to her own academic work, she is a University leader as well. Since 2018, Rose, a VET Initiative winner, serves as a board member for CSU-Global’s chapter of the Student Veteran’s Association of America. That means that she finds time every week to meet with that team and troubleshoot any and all issues facing military students who are serving around the world while learning through the global campus.
Every week, Rose attends the virtual meetings with a smile on her face and a willingness to do whatever research or legwork is required for the ideas of the larger team. She inspires everyone with her can-do attitude, and she never, ever misses a deadline. When I told her about the project, she said, as do so many Clever Chicas, “What can I do to help?” I told her that just sharing her smile and a sketch of who she is and what she is out there doing would make a difference to our readers. Right again, huh?! Thank you, Rose. You are our first United States Air Force Clever Chica, and you’ve set a high standard for all who come after you.
At Colorado State University-global, RockStar Graduates Jen Lietzau and Jeni Tetamore bring Energy and Innovation to online Learning
One of the most important movements in high school and college education in America today is called dual enrollment. In a nutshell, dual enrollment allows high school students the chance to take some of the early undergraduate college classes, like literature and writing, while still in high school. The idea has many benefits. Of course, it helps students to take the classes for free instead of paying for them in college. But for first generation college students, the benefits are far greater than the money saved. For students who don’t come from homes with college graduates, the world of a college education can seem dark and mysterious. What will be expected of me when I take a writing class? How good do I need to be? And how will I learn to meet those standards? To help answer those questions, dual enrollment teachers in the state of Colorado are trained to teach the curriculum for writing and literature, among other general education subjects, at the college level.
But how do the dual enrollment teachers earn the credentials to offer these special classes and skills? Well, thanks to innovative programs like the Graduate English Certificate Program at Colorado State University’s Global Campus, teachers who have the stamina, and, frankly, the iron will, can complete additional courses to earn those credentials in a totally online environment.
Jenn and Jeni both flourished in that test of fire, standing out in their programs and, now, as graduates, serving as the leadership for CSU-Global’s English Studies Organization, a group that initiates new teachers in to the realities of teaching those general education courses and fosters discussions on current topics in higher education.
Professionally, Jenn teaches high school students, and Jeni teaches community college students. They are, literally, teaching generations of students in the Denver area that they can, and, more importantly, should take these courses, earn the credits and skills of general education, and use those building blocks to earn degrees in whatever majors they choose.
Both women hold monthly meetings with their CSU-Global peers. Both women present at regional and national academic conferences on critical issues in English Studies, and both women are working to establish new academic organizations to further their important work, including Rocky Mountain College English Association. And both of these women do all of these magical and exciting projects while keeping their families growing and going and remaining active members of their local communities.
Jenn and Jeni, y’all are exemplars of what the modern American teacher can be—focused and committed to continuing your own education alongside students of all backgrounds, ages, and experience levels. Your work will live on for generations, and your Clever Chica style will make you memorable to all who have the chance to learn alongside y’all. Brava, and keep going!