A new partnership between Wofford College, Converse University, OneSpartanburg, Spartanburg County School District 3 and Spartanburg County School District 7 allows students to seamlessly transition from undergraduate to graduate without moving from the Spartanburg area.
Students currently minoring education that have plans to pursue the career can continue their schooling through Converse University’s new cooperative alliance.
With this program, after earning an undergraduate degree, Wofford students are able to complete at least one additional year of graduate study and related requirements to satisfy the MAT degree and professional teacher certification requirements.
The partnership covers all tuition, certification costs, books and everything academically necessary to complete the degree as well as provides spending money.
Four current Wofford seniors are taking advantage of this opportunity and plan to pursue a master of arts in teaching from Converse University, ranging from early childhood education to secondary studies.
Sandry Perez ‘24, one of the students taking advantage of the opportunity, mentioned in a statement that making a positive difference in the lives of students is one of her biggest inspirations. She credits an experience with a local teacher with her desire to teach elementary education.
“When I first transferred to Wofford, I was unsure of what I wanted my career to be. As a part of a Spanish class I was taking, I volunteered at a local elementary school with a high Hispanic student population,” the statement read. “The teacher I worked with, Mrs. Lyles, was an amazing teacher to her first grade class. I admired how she was learning Spanish to use in her classroom to connect with all her multilingual students.
“She encouraged my desire to teach and bridge the gap in education caused by language barriers.”
The cooperative alliance allows students to start taking classes towards their master’s degree while still being enrolled at Wofford. Students are able to take up to six graduate hours in their last semester to obtain a head start on the program.
Brandi Wylie ‘24 is taking advantage of this through a night class at Converse University. For Wylie, her desire to teach had always been clear.
“I want so greatly to be able to give back to the community that poured its all into me. I am a D7 graduate, and I have family members who work in D3, so the opportunity to work in either one is a dream come true,” Wylie said. “I want to be able to teach in the same hallways that I once walked to kindergarten in. I want to make a difference in the community that made me who I am today,” Wylie said in a statement.
Beyond their degrees, all four seniors have signed to work in Spartanburg following their graduation from Converse University in either Spartanburg County School District 3 or Spartanburg County School District 7.
With no other Wofford program like it, the education department is proud to see Wylie, Perez, Madison Miller ‘24 and Margaret Chandler ‘24 pursue their dreams through Converse.
“This partnership will allow my students an opportunity to earn a graduate degree, teaching certification and a guaranteed teaching job without having to worry about paying for any of it,” says Christie Johnson, senior instruction of education and chair of the education department at Wofford. “This is a tremendous opportunity for our students who want to teach, especially since Wofford only offers the education minor.”
Johnson says it was a collaboration between herself; Ron Garner, chief talent officer for OneSpartanburg; Lienne Medford, professor of leadership and dean of the graduate school at Converse University; Julie Fowler, superintendent of Spartanburg County School District 3, and Jeff Stevens, superintendent of Spartanburg County School DIstrict 7, that made this possible.
Those interested in pursuing this opportunity for this or next year should reach out to Johnson via email.
