Jamaica Program Alumni Spotlight

1. Name, graduation year and program:
Terry-Ann Williams-Clarke, WCU grad 2016, B.S. Middle Grades, Special Education.

2. After WCU, what did you go on to do?
After WCU, I continued working as border protection office and home teacher for my kids.

3. What is your greatest professional accomplishment?
My greatest professional accomplishment is becoming a certified Educator. I am able to use some of my skills developed at WCU in my current job when doing training activities and even when dealing with clients both externally and internally.

4. How did your education at WCU prepare you for your career?
WCU has helped to shape me into a rounded individual. I understand that people learn and communicate in various ways and so I can adapt smoothly to any situation and help in problem solving and various teaching and learning environments.

5. Why did you choose to attend WCU?
I chose WCU because it is an accredited institution both locally and internationally and I was looking for a place where I could learn to teach persons of different cultures and improve my schema.

6. What are some lessons you learned at WCU that have stayed with you in your time since graduating?
When you develop a passion to share your knowledge with others, you will never work a day in your life.

7. What is the most important thing you learned while you were at WCU?
There are many obstacles that one may face in life and the classroom is one place where children and adults may choose to express their feelings and situations. As a teacher I become the person of trust and one with the answers so I have to give my best to leave a positive impression on every mind I meet.

8. The faculty member(s) who had the greatest influence on me was/were:
Dr. Ellie Blair had the greatest influence on me.

9. Share your best memory from your time at WCU:
Being on campus with classmates and teachers from WCU.

10. If you could use one word to describe your experience at WCU, what would it be?
Awesomeness!

11. What advice do you have for future students in the Jamaica Program?
My advice would to be to take this opportunity to spread your knowledge across the world. 

12. What is something people may not know about you?
I am driven by the success of people who are determined to fight the odds and be great!

1. Name, graduation year and program:
Allison Foderingham, WCU grad 1977, M.A. Guidance & Counseling.

2. After WCU, what did you go on to do?
After WCU, I returned to Jamaica to continue teaching and counseling. In 1983, I migrated to New York with my family and continued teaching. I taught there for eight years and then moved to Decatur, Georgia where I taught until I retired in 1998.

3. What is your greatest professional accomplishment?
When I was employed at a non-profit organization in Atlanta, I was asked to create and direct a G.E.D./High School Equivalency for young adult students. With one assistant, I directed and taught all the G.E.D subjects while also counseling them at the same time. It was an extremely successful program with many students obtaining their G.E.D Certificates. The fact that I spent eight years with this program that served at-risk students - never once having to discipline anyone, was a high point for me. In over 50 years as an educator, this stands as one of my proudest achievements.

4. How did your education at WCU prepare you for your career?
After I returned to Jamaica, I felt that every teacher should have the training I was fortunate to gain at Western Carolina University because the experience gave me the confidence to face any challenge at any level in my profession.

5. Why did you choose to attend WCU?
The Ministry of Education in Jamaica chose me along with nineteen other teachers for the pioneering group of teachers to prepare for the Masters Degree Program at WCU.

6. What are some lessons you learned at WCU that have stayed with you in your time since graduating?
I have learned that sometimes students get into trouble by reacting to a previous action that occurred in their lives. I also realized that it was very important to work with parents to know the children's home situation.

7. What is the most important thing you learned while you were at WCU?
If you want a friend, you must first be one.

8. The faculty member(s) who had the greatest influence on me was/were:
Dr. Sadler, Dr. Salisbury and Dr. Morrow had the greatest influence on me.

9. Share your best memory from your time at WCU:
There are too many memorable experiences to cite but two were attending the Cherokee Trail of Tears and a second was when a member of the WCU janitorial staff invited me to their church.

10. If you could use one word to describe your experience at WCU, what would it be?
GREAT!

11. What advice do you have for future students in the Jamaica Program?
My advice would to be very careful of the relationships that you form and always remember the primary reason you are at WCU.

12. What is something people may not know about you?
I am a 93 year old graduate of the university and despite being a senior citizen, my age does not define my activities. I observe a lot but say very little.