LAYING THE FOUNDATION STUDENT AEA MEMBER STRENGTHENS ASPIRING EDUCATOR ENGAGEMENT When Kelly Givens arrived at Arkansas Tech University, she knew she wanted to be a teacher but, as a non-traditional student, wasn’t sure what to expect. “What does this generation know that mine does not?” she said. “Am I ready? Can I keep up?” Although the college career was new, Givens’ grandfather laid the foundation for a career in education long ago. “He turned our entire basement into a classroom for me,” Givens said. “He went all out: the desk, chalkboard, everything. I’ve always just wanted to become an educator.” But her course to the classroom wasn’t a straight shot. Growing up in Chicago, Givens first followed her father onto the racetrack. “I was racing motorcycles and really pushing the limit,” she said. “I once tested the top speed for a manufacturer, and I got up to, I think 180 mph before the engine shut down. It was good, though, because it just died smoothly and that’s what you want. At that speed you need to just coast back down, or you’ll be in trouble.” Looking for a fresh start after her father died, Givens moved down to Arkansas where she had spent summers growing up. “My husband would say his prayers brought me here,” she said. “I just wanted a new beginning, to heal, so Arkansas was good place for me to heal.”
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ARKANSAS EDUCATOR
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