Tanya – 1 Life Forever Changed
One–count it, 1 life forever changed is no small thing. Last week we received an email from Tanya. She told us we changed the course of her life.
She did her student teaching with STAGE (then known as CCTECC) in 1993 at Rift Valley Academy in Kenya. Because of that experience, she committed to teaching MKs and other TCKs in international schools. So far, she has taught in five different countries in East Africa and Europe, is just finishing her MA in English, and is gearing up for her move to the Czech Republic.
What a wonderful report from a STAGE alumna! She is doing what we hope and pray more of our alumni will do–continue to teach in international education. Janet Blomberg, former Director of Interaction and STAGE, did a survey a few years ago and discovered that slightly more than 33% of STAGE alumni teach internationally for at least a few years. She also calculated from that survey that STAGE supplied over 1000 full time Christian teachers to international schools since its inception. What a kingdom impact!
Paying it Forward
However, that’s not the end of the story–though it would be a great one. Here’s the kicker–Tanya wants to pay it forward. She asked if she could be a mentor teacher and have a STAGE student teacher.
Tanya knows the power and influence of a great mentor during the student teaching experience. She knows the likelihood of a student teacher committing to international education often depends on the quality of their student teaching placement. She wants to be part of that fantastic experience for a student teacher. What a gift!
While Tanya will make one life forever changed in a future student teacher, we know her impact is part of a chain of events that will branch out as long as there are people. Tanya impacts the students in her classroom–including the student teacher. Then they shape other lives–other students, other student teachers, others with no connection to a school. This chain of influence continues forever.
The Impact of a Gift
I know I’ve written about STAGE and Tanya, but really I’ve written about our financial partners. Without these partnerships–without their commitment to Interaction and its programs–there is no STAGE. Tanya never would have done her student teaching at RVA without our partners, both financial and prayer. No STAGE student would have the opportunity to teach in Tanya’s classroom without them. Countless MKs and other TCKs would lack the influence of a strong Christian teacher if our partners didn’t invest in Interaction International.
Our partners have an amazing ROI–it’s just not monetary. In many ways it’s better. The return on investment is changed lives. Understood hearts and educated minds are just part of what STAGE’s student teachers provide as they learn more of the world and the people in it. You might make 1 life forever changed, but we firmly believe you will impact more than any of us will ever know.
To our partners–thank you for making such an impact in the world. Thank you for helping support student teachers who become mentor teachers make a difference. Thank you for making STAGE possible. You did this–and you continue to do it. Thank you! You make a difference.
To those of you reading this who don’t partner with us–will you invest in student teacher education and make one life forever changed? Will you invest in Interaction International and it’s programs like STAGE and make innumerable lives forever changed? Click the “Give” button at the top of the page to make a difference now. You can make 1 life forever changed; in doing so, you’ll be part of the chain of impact that has no foreseeable end.