Future educators are coming together to motivate, learn and network through the Student Florida Education Association chapters at universities across the state. The FSU chapter, an up and coming registered club on campus, is taking a stand on government funding for public education. Her Campus spoke to President Sarah DeWeerd and Vice President Alana Rigby to get their takes on the upcoming election and the future of education.
Her Campus (HC): Can you tell me about SFEA as a whole and your positions within the club?
Sarah DeWeerd (SD): We are a student organization that gives students a chance to be involved in a national organization of teachers. We are able to work closely with educators and are given many opportunities to give back to the community and advocate for our future careers. I am the current president of FSU’s chapter and with the help of my executive board, we organize events, plan meetings and do community outreach.
Alana Rigby (AR): SFEA is a club for aspiring educators to join and network with each other about the current state of our education system. We conduct community outreach in schools and attend state conferences with other aspiring educators from other universities. I am currently the vice president of our local chapter here at FSU and I am the President (Elect) for the State Executive Board.
HC: What about teaching draws you to want to pursue it as a career?
SD: I always respected teachers and understood that the job they did was very important, and once I got into high school, I joined a teaching Academy which really helped me grow my passion for teaching. I want to be able to help students be the best they can be and give them the quality education they deserve. Personally, I’m pursuing a career and becoming a TVI, which is a teacher of students with visual impairments. FSU is one of the only colleges in the nation that provides this program, so it really grabbed my attention. I just want to help advocate for these children and give them a quality education.
AR: From the time I was five I was interested in becoming a teacher and would do everything I could to play teacher with my friends. I believe teaching is one of the most important careers a person can pursue. Teachers are given the opportunity to directly influence their students’ lives and help make them more global empathetic students.
HC: Last year, SFEA participated in a march on the capital for funding in public education. Can you talk about what that was like?
SD: The march was truly a unique experience that I wouldn’t change for the world. Being in a space with that many people who all had the same passion for education was incredible. It made me so happy to see teachers were being represented and we’re using their voice to advocate for public education. I think it’s very important to make sure that our voices are heard, and the rally was a great way to do that.
AR: This was actually one of my favorite experiences for public education. It was the first time I had attended a rally for public education and the turnout was huge. Teachers from several counties showed up, and some counties had even threatened their teachers for attending the rally. It was a very inspiring rally to be a part of because veteran educators spoke at the capital along with aspiring educators and current educators. It was cool to hear different perspectives and the way challenges change as you advance in your career.
HC: What has SFEA been doing to encourage people to ‘vote for education’ in the upcoming election?
SD: Recently our Association has been sharing flyers and discussing the importance of voting as SFEA held a contest for voter registration between all the chapters. We encouraged all our members to share graphics SFEA made that talk about registering to vote. The chapter with the most posts will be awarded a surprise. This is just one easy way to encourage people to register to vote or even start a conversation about registering. As we get closer to the general election, we plan on advocating for people to vote as well.
AR: SFEA conducted a voter registration social media campaign this last month to help spread awareness and encourage everyone to register. We encouraged everyone to post infographics that the state board had created. The state board is also working on reviewing where candidates stand on public education.
HC: What does ‘vote for education’ mean to you?
SD: To vote for education is to vote for candidates who recognize and respect educators and the value of the education profession. We need people who are champions for our students and public schools. When voting we should always keep education in mind, we want our students to have a great public school and a great education.
AR: Vote for education means voting for candidates that care about and understand the importance of education.
To get involved with FSU’s SFEA, head over to Instagram @fsu_sfea!
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