Clarksville, TN – Kyoung Eun Grace Lee remembers spring 2020. As a West Creek High School senior, COVID-19 quickly upended many of the traditional end-of-year milestones.
Fortunately, she did have one thing to look forward to – her acceptance into the Grow Your Own Teacher Residency, a partnership between Austin Peay State University (APSU) and the Clarksville-Montgomery County School System (CMCSS).
As a part of the program, participants earn a teaching degree at no cost while working as full-time educational assistants in local schools.
“I’ve always planned on becoming a teacher since I was in third grade, because I had a wonderful third- and fourth-grade teacher, and she inspired me to pursue the career of teaching,” Lee said.
Lee joined the second Teacher Residency cohort after encouragement from her high school principal. She joined more than 30 other students in the program, including other recent high school graduates, community members, and CMCSS classified employees.
“I thought, this is the best thing that could have ever happened to me because I love teaching, and I love helping people,” she said.
Lee began working at Ringgold Elementary School during the pandemic. She faced the new challenges of contact tracing and social distancing while learning about classroom management and lesson planning.
“I think that although it was a blur, I learned so much and we got through it,” Lee added. “It really helped me think on my feet.”
