College of Education News

Archives for December 2024

Rural scholarship program helps educators return home

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Four students in Missouri State University’s College of Education were selected to join the Ozarks Teacher Corps, a scholarship program created by the Community Foundation of the Ozarks.

With this award, students can return to their rural hometown or another rural setting to begin their teaching careers. 

Joining a rural initiative 

When accepted into the Teacher Corps, students commit to three years of teaching in any rural hometown post-graduation. The Teacher Corps scholarship enables students to continue their degree without financial pressure.  

The application and scholarship are open to all college juniors and seniors in the region. 

The Teacher Corps also offers professional development opportunities for the cohort, the latest of which was with Teton Science Schools in Montauk State Park.

The latest scholarship recipients from MSU are: 

  • Cierra Parker, a junior elementary education major 
  • Brooke Crumm, a senior elementary education major
  • Grace Reed, a senior elementary education major at the West Plains campus
  • Jordyn Sigman, a junior elementary education major at the West Plains campus

Crumm began at Missouri State in fall 2023 after gaining her Associate of Arts in teacher education at Ozarks Technical Community College. She is originally from Marshfield, Missouri. 

For Crumm, this is a personal gain as much as it is a professional one.  

“Returning home to teach is something I’m looking forward to because I understand the specific needs and culture of my community,” she said. “I want to give back to the community that shaped who I am today.” 

The importance of rural education 

Dr. Rhonda Bishop, co-director for the Center for Rural Education at Missouri State explained the importance of the program to communities.  

“The schools are the hub of the communities,” she said. “The impact teachers have on the parents and children they serve is incredibly powerful.” 

She described her own admiration for the students who wish to return to rural schools to teach.  

“I graduated from a rural high school and was a public educator in rural schools for 29 years,” she said. “To know we’re sending some of the best into rural situations is what makes me the proudest.” 

Learn more about the Center for Rural Education

On track to becoming a filmmaker

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Since he was 16 years old, Luke Goldston has wanted to make films. Thanks to Missouri State University’s Bear POWER (Promoting Opportunities for Work, Education and Resilience) program, he has begun to achieve his filmmaking dreams.

Bear POWER began in 2018 at Missouri State as a way to offer college experiences to students with intellectual and developmental disabilities. 

Goldston, who is from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, joined the program in fall 2022, majoring in digital film and television production. This December, he will graduate. Although his time at Missouri State is ending, his filmmaking will continue to take him far.

“What I’ve most enjoyed about MSU is being with friends and making films with them,” Goldston said. “It has been a magical experience to not only improve my craft but also bond more with my friends.” 

According to Bear POWER director Dr. April Phillips, the support Goldston received from his peers, staff and faculty has enabled him to succeed.  

“As a Bear POWER student, Luke has overcome challenges and persevered in his quest to learn more about media and film,” she said. “We’re very proud of him and his work.” 

An outstanding achievement 

While at MSU, Goldston created “Springfield Stroll,” a short, independent film. It debuted on Oct. 6 at Moxie Cinema. The indie genre film was a 26-minute anthology of three people walking through different parts of Springfield: downtown, the MSU campus and Sequiota Park.  

Goldston was the film’s cinematographer, editor and producer. It starred Thade Yates, Charles Sargent and Cade Johnson. 

For this project, Goldston chose to follow the rules of Dogme 95. This is a filmmaking movement aimed at taking films back to the basics by excluding traditional production values like special effects and other technological enhancements. Another Dogme 95 rule is films must be shot on location.  

“It was fun to work within the rules of Dogme 95 and see what resulted. The actors also called it an interesting challenge,” said Goldston, who interns at the Moxie.  

He notes having his film on screen for the first time was an exhilarating experience.  

“Ethereal is how I would describe it,” he said. “The actors and I were more and more excited as we got closer to the premier.”

During Goldston’s time on campus, one of his favorite faculty members is Bobby Lewis from the department of communication, media, journalism and film. 

“He gave me so much important advice when it came to filmmaking,” Goldston said. 

Looking ahead with optimism 

Upon graduation, he plans to continue directing films and work in the art world.  

“My future plans are to get a job at either a theater, Vintage Stock, Barnes & Noble or a film happening in Oklahoma City,” he said. “I want to eventually make bigger and more complex films.” 

Goldston dreams of bringing awareness to personal hardship and invoking compassion through his films. 

“I want to continue to tell stories about personal struggles and obstacles that many people deal with daily,” he said. 

Learn more about Bear POWER