Jennifer Pan
Article for WSTA Scholarship
My parents moved to the United States from Taiwan in the early 80s, leaving their families and
hoping to find success in the “land of opportunity”. The transition, however, proved to be quite difficult.
Without a steady income, both of my parents worked odd jobs and saved until they could finally settle in
Houston, Texas, where my brother and I were born. We then moved to Phoenix, Arizona where my
father worked as an engineer and my mother was a full-time mom. We lived with the bare necessities
and took our responsibilities seriously. My brother and I were raised with a strong emphasis on
education. I cannot speak for my brother, but I personally found school to be both an academic and
social outlet. My teachers always supported my endeavors. We looked carefully at our next steps, trying
to make sure that my family could handle the financial burdens of higher education. I was fortunate
enough to receive a generous financial aid package from my university. Because of my deep
appreciation for my teachers, it was no wonder that I spent much of my time in college tutoring or
hosting members from the local community. And in order to support all of my living expenses and
remaining tuition, I worked at least 2 jobs every semester. The extra money I saved allowed me to fly
home during holidays and prepare for my next move to Seattle. I shared this story with my students
today because I wanted them to know that despite many of life’s challenges, if we work hard enough,
there is always a way to succeed.
One of my students asked me this year, “Why do you even want to teach?” I asked him in
return, “What do you think would happen to our future generations if nobody wanted to teach?” Some
students may have imagined days of endless sleep and nonstop video games, but some students just
weren’t sure what they would do with themselves. I knew I wanted to teach because I had spent so
many years tutoring low-income students. The experiences reminded me of the precious moments I had
in school and how much I relied on my teachers for success. This journey is all about following a passion.
After college, without a teaching certificate, my only option was to teach at independent
schools. I worked for two years in Seattle to save for graduate school. Now, I am approaching the end of
my program with just one more quarter to finish. I am grateful for the Washington Science Teachers’
Association scholarship opportunity, which has helped in my summer tuition for three classes at Seattle
Pacific University: Curriculum Design, STEM, and Educating Exceptional Students. All three classes are
extremely relevant to today’s movement in education. Particularly, I have found my STEM class and
Educating Exceptional Students class to fit nicely with my interests. I am learning how to integrate math,
technology, and engineering into my science classes, which aligns with our hopes to prepare our
students for higher education and future careers. The class on Exceptional Students has been one of my
most eye-opening classes as a graduate student. With more inclusion-based classes, I am certain that I
will have a classroom full of students at different academic levels and abilities. This class is helping me
understand what it takes to reach students with learning disabilities, behavioral disabilities, and even
gifted students. I know that at the end of this quarter, I will be one step closer to being the type of
teacher I once had in high school, one who knew how to take the extra time to help me learn material
despite my differences. Thank you, WSTA, for supporting my tuition and overall journey into the
education field!