Jessica White, an alumna from the class of 2009, shares about her time at Winthrop.
“The environment at Winthrop was very laid back and yet still vibrant. In 2009, when I graduated, Ugg boots were very popular with tank tops and jean skirts or sweatpants,” White said. “There were definitely some interesting people in every corner of campus, which was a nice change of pace from my suburban upbringing.”
Throughout her time, White was an English education major and was involved in various organizations and areas on campus. She held roles as assistant editor in chief and editor in chief for The Anthology, worked as assistant director of residence life, participated in Model UN, was a Teaching Fellow, and studied abroad her sophomore year.
“My time as EIC of The Anthology felt a bit like a whirlwind, but luckily I had a really strong team of editors,” White said. “I was proud to dedicate the 2009 edition to Dr. Furr because I know I would not have been able to pull off my student teaching, my side jobs, and my EIC responsibilities without her support and guidance.”
In this position, she learned, “time management is an important skill that needs continual effort to try and master, and deadlines are forever an unfortunate beast.”
During sophomore year, she studied abroad for a semester in Reading England at the University of Reading. During her time there, she got to take various literature courses such as a feminist author and theory course and a London 1550-1700 literature and language course.
“Traveling to London and seeing the local spots around Reading were my favorite,” White said. “I got to ride in the front of a double decker bus and explored some quaint little tourist spots. There were so many fun thigs that I got to experience while I was there that I later got to discuss in various ways in my classrooms.”
When speaking about studying abroad, White noted it was something she would always recommend to students.
“It definitely grew my self-reliance and my perception of the world,” White said.
White was a student in the College of Education as she studied to be a secondary education English teacher.
“Being a Teaching Fellow and Winthrop graduate opened a lot of doors for me professionally” White said. “I felt very prepared to write lesson plans, passed the ADEPT process, and create long range plans.”
White states that Dr. Cynthia J. Furr played a major role in her time in the education program and while at Winthrop.
“She modeled so many of the practices and ideologies that continue to be pillars of my educational philosophy,” White said. “The only thing I would change in this regard is I would have ‘bothered’ her more and spent more time in her office hours. I try every year to keep her legacy going within me.”
After graduating, White became an English teacher and taught for 14 years. She is now a Digital Learning Coach for Lexington District One in a middle school.
“I get to help teachers and student implement and experiment with technology in their instruction to our collective betterment,” White said.
In addition to her job as a Digital Learning Coach, White is working on her Masters of Library and Information Science at the University of South Carolina.
“My college experience was definitely some of the best years of my life,” White said.
