Teachers never choose to be teachers because of the money. Teachers teach because we want to make a difference in a child’s life. Jordan Branch is an example of how teachers can, and do, make a difference.
Jordan Branch grew up in Virginia. He had challenges growing up. His parents divorced when he was six and he failed English in the 7th grade. His dad didn’t have the money to send him to summer school. This could have been a stopping point for Jordan. He knew he didn’t want to give up so he decided to sell candy in order to raise the money to go to summer school. It was there that he met the first teacher that changed the course of his life.
Mr. Pollock was a high school teacher in his district that ran the summer school and Jump Start Program. Mr. Pollock was one of those teachers that sees the potential in every student. He became a mentor to Jordan. Jordan passed his required English course and continued through to the 8th grade. He continued to raise money, though, because he wanted to attend summer school the following summer. This time it was by choice. He took classes in the Jump Start program that year and the following summers, too. He took enough courses that he could have graduated early, but in 11th grade he had to go to work to help his family. He had to give up track and field, which he did well enough in the 10th grade to attend nationals, but he knew he had to sacrifice track for the greater good of his family.
Upon his graduation, Jordan moved to North Dakota and enrolled in Bismark State College. He didn’t stay long and found an opportunity to transfer to Millersville University in Pennsylvania. He decided to major in manufacturing engineering and became involved in the National Society of Black Engineers, becoming his chapter’s vice president. Jordan realized quickly that there were not a lot of students that looked like him in his major. He started to think how he could change this for future generations.
While attending Millersville, Jordan met another teacher that became a great influence in his life. Dr. McCade saw Jordan’s gift for teaching and convinced him to look into teaching; later he would partner with Bright Side Opportunities Center. This past summer he did an internship at M.C. Dean working as a FICS (Facility Infrastructure Control Systems) engineering intern at the Space Force Base in Denver Colorado.
Jordan now has a new focus in his life. He has his short-term goal of graduating and becoming an engineer. He intends to make a good living with his degree, but he wants to earn enough money to one day build a high-tech high school in Richmond, VA. A school that would have hands on training and be very interactive for the students and focus on preparing students for higher education and careers in engineering. Jordan is a reminder to us all that teachers DO make a difference.
| By Joyce Costello, Keystone Teachers Association |
