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William Carey University’s first “Grow Your Own” graduate, Summer Allen, walked across the stage to receive her diploma May 10 during commencement at Temple Baptist Church.
Designed to address Mississippi’s persistent teacher shortage, “Grow Your Own” is a partnership between the WCU School of Education and school districts all over the state.
It enables high school students who want to become classroom teachers to fast-track their careers and graduate from WCU in three years through a combination of dual enrollment classes, an accelerated schedule and hands-on experience as teacher assistants in real classrooms.
Allen is a native of Lawrence County. She did part of her “Grow Your Own” field work as a first-grade teacher assistant at Monticello Elementary School, where she’s filling in to cover a teaching vacancy now. Coming from a family of educators, Allen also completed “Teacher Academy” at Lawrence County High School before she enrolled at William Carey University.
“In high school, I became certain that being an educator was what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. I have always been curious about how students grow – academically, socially, and emotionally. The more I learned about what it takes to be an educator, the more I wanted to be a person in students’ lives who helps them grow in those areas,” Allen said.
When the 2024-25 school year begins, Summer Allen will be an official first-grade teacher at Monticello Elementary School.
“With the knowledge and experience I’ve gained, I am confident I can do the job. Watching students grow has been an amazing experience, and I cannot wait to experience more,” Allen said.
For more info about “Grow Your Own,” email education@wmcarey.edu.
Summer Allen, right, pauses for a photo at the WCU School of Education with Dr. Deidra Gammill, who co-ordinates the “Grow Your Own” program.
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