Great
Expectations
BEN YODER
TAYLA T.C. LEE
Encouraging Potential
Teaching Lab Skills With Lasting Impact
A
T
s a Music Education major at Ball State, Ben Yoder, ’07, remembers when his professors outlined an approach to teaching that spoke directly to his future. The idea: create independent musicians—ones able to learn on their own. Yoder shifted his focus to how to go about cultivating self-reliant musicians—a focus he now applies as orchestra director and music teacher at Hamilton Southeastern Intermediate & Junior High School in Fishers, Indiana. Orchestras he’s directed have received superior rankings and earned top honors at music festivals in Indiana and beyond, and in 2020 Yoder was named the state’s Middle School Music Educator of the Year. For him, “it’s about getting kids to play, enjoy, and appreciate music. My job is to get them ready to leave the nest. I want them to be able to figure this out on their own when I’m no longer there.” Each year, Yoder teaches some 200 sixth through eighth graders. Most start not knowing how to read a musical note or hold an instrument. But before long, they’re preparing to perform in a school concert. “We’re going to go through this together,” Yoder tells them. “We’re a team.” Several of his former students have even gone on to teach music, bringing Yoder’s nurturing of their future growth full circle. For his ability to help create the next generation of independent musicians and learners, Yoder is grateful to the professors who put him on the right path. One way he shows that appreciation is though service as president of the Young Alumni Council (YAC). Through social events, service projects, and career resources, YAC empowers and engages the University’s fastest-growing alumni population. The council is also advancing the notion that giving back is not just about donating, but about guiding and shaping Ball State’s future. Yoder’s own hopes for Ball State include continuing to build a community of equity and inclusion—“one that gives everyone the tools they need to succeed.” Yoder’s term as president ends soon, and his service to YAC will also conclude when his 2007 class year puts him past YAC’s definition of a young alumnus: one who graduated 15 or fewer years ago. But just as he plans to continue helping his young students meet their musical potential, Yoder knows he will continue to support Ball State’s pursuit of a bright future. — Susan DeGrane
28 Summer 2021
ayla T.C. Lee is determined to provide highimpact educational experiences that will change the lives of her students and the people they may help after graduation. The assistant professor of Psychological Science also identifies herself as a Hoosier intent on giving back to the people of her native state. As a first-generation college student who earned her doctorate in Clinical Psychology, Lee appreciates that many Ball State students are also first generation. Lee knew she wanted to continue her education after college but, in hindsight, realized, “I didn’t understand a lot about how graduate education worked.” She strives to provide a clearer path for her students. Among her priorities, Lee sets the goal for her master’s degree candidates to show a proven ability to execute the research process. Since 2015, she has guided students through studies conducted through the Personality and Psychopathology (P2) Lab, which she directs. The lab investigates personality and cognitive influences on mental disorders and how to best assess these influences in clinical practice. The goal is to improve treatment for people experiencing emotional and behavioral difficulties. While her students may not choose to do research post-graduation, they develop skills in the lab—such as time and resource management, critical thinking, and effective communication—that will serve them well, Lee explained. “Those are the kinds of skills employers are looking for,” she said. Taking students outside of the lab setting, Lee partnered with Janay Sander, associate professor of Educational Psychology, on a community research project aimed at helping at-risk youth served by the Youth Opportunity Center (YOC) in Muncie. Working with YOC’s clinical services team, “we’ve already helped to revamp some of their clinical processes,” Lee said. The essential lesson from her face-to-face work is personalization. “When we sit and get to know the kid in front of us, the work we do is much more effective in helping us help them and their families.” Lee plans to continue providing educational experiences that empower her students to positively impact lives in Indiana and communities like Muncie. “I’m hopeful that Ball State will continue to serve the needs of Indiana in terms of turning out young adults who make a difference,” she said. — Susan DeGrane
Ball State University Alumni Magazine | WE FLY
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