Spotlight on USU Alumni Concurrent Enrollment Instructors
The Department of English’s concurrent enrollment program serves high school students across the state of Utah. Concurrent enrollment faculty are committed to creating meaningful learning experiences for concurrent enrollment students enrolled in our writing (English 1010 and 2010) and literature (English 2200) courses. The concurrent enrollment courses are taught by approved high school teachers who teach in the high school context and on-campus faculty who teach courses through our broadcast system. All concurrent enrollment faculty participate in ongoing professional development provided by the concurrent enrollment program. One cornerstone of the program’s professional development is the Teaching Partnership experience. In this experience, concurrent enrollment faculty members are paired with university faculty members to engage in a site visit process that is focused on reciprocal mentorship for the concurrent enrollment teacher and the university faculty member. Concurrent enrollment faculty also serve on the program’s guiding committee, which helps to direct the program. By design, the concurrent enrollment program is a collaborative one that aims to cultivate meaningful inquiry for all members of the teaching community, and the individual contributions from our concurrent enrollment faculty are integral to the program.
The following concurrent enrollment instructors are also USU English Department alumni who were asked about their time in the department and its impact on their career. They exemplify the reciprocal, collaborative nature of our concurrent enrollment program.
Joelle Beard says, “During my undergraduate program at Utah State University, I had professors and instructors who helped foster a love for writing and literature through their passion and their connection with both their subject and their students. I knew I wanted to study English, and I was interested in becoming a teacher but was not positive if that was the right path for me. The English program at USU gave me many opportunities to learn and showed me that there are many ways to use an English degree in the workplace. I had classes that I could apply to many fields of study other than just teaching. Through the writing I practiced and learned at USU, I felt more prepared to write clearly, professionally, and effectively in any career I chose. Now in my career as an English teacher, teaching concurrent enrollment students, I hope to help students understand the world through literature and learn to express themselves through writing just as my time in the English program at USU helped me do in my life.”
Brad Gibbons was born and raised in Cache Valley, graduating from USU with a BS in English Teaching, History Teaching, and Art in 2010 and an MS in American Studies in 2012. Brad says, “I'm a true Aggie and a True Aggie, you know? I enjoy painting, hiking, movies, and traveling. I met my wife at USU, and we now have four children. You may now sing ‘Circle of Life.’”
Brad says that the courses taught in the English Department provided insight into assignment crafting, time management, content, and learning standards specific to his field. Brad notes that he “uses something at my job, sometimes everything, from my time in the English department. My professors were invaluable resources and have continued to be sounding boards even though I have long since graduated.” He continues, “An English degree helped me with additional degrees. Since graduating from USU, I have earned another Master's degree and certifications from other universities. My time in the English Department writing and reading papers has prepared me to carry out this kind of work, with relative ease. For that alone, I am grateful to the USU English Department.”
Amanda Plaizier, who earned her MA in American Studies (Class of 2006) and PhD in Education Literacy Curriculum and Instruction (Class of 2024), says that the opportunity to work as a graduate instructor in the English Department and the relationships built there enabled her to continue teaching composition, literature, and research methods courses. Amanda says, “In addition to teaching, I have also worked in the private sector in data analysis and professional writing for Tandem Labs in Salt Lake City. The mobility of an English degree allowed me to find teaching opportunities when relocating to Arizona (Eastern Arizona College) and Tooele, Utah (USU Statewide). My passion for classroom-based writing instruction research propelled me into a PhD program in which I continue to investigate critical digital literacies in the composition classroom. In addition to teaching concurrent courses for USU within my local district, I work for USU Tooele as a Concurrent Enrollment faculty mentor to help create opportunities for other teachers. The basic communication and writing skills from my graduate courses in English at USU have served me in my teaching, community leadership roles, and in my professional duties.”
Gail Scoville was born and grew up in Saskatchewan, Canada. She immigrated to St. Louis, Missouri, so her husband could go to Logan Chiropractic College. While living in St. Louis, Gail earned her bachelor’s degree from Lindenwood College and her Masters in Counseling from the University of Missouri-St. Louis. After she and her family moved to Utah, Gail took several classes from the College of Eastern Utah, so that she could acquire a teaching license for Utah. Ultimately, Gail received her master’s in English Education from Utah State University, which has allowed her to teach concurrent enrollment English classes, including English 1010 and English 2200, through USU for the past twelve years. Gail says, “I am very grateful for the strong support that the USU English Department lends to their CE teachers. I enjoy being a part of the CE Guidance Committee, and I am continually learning from my USU English Department colleagues AND from my students!”
Caroline Smith says, “With a profound love for Utah State University, I've continued my educational journey to pursue a doctoral degree in Cultural Studies in TEAL while teaching eleven years of English, ESL, and Diversity in the Cache County School District. USU's English Department ignited my passion for marginalized perspectives, shaping my teaching philosophy to incorporate diverse voices into my curriculum. For the last three years I have been fortunate to continue my collaboration with USU's English Department by spearheading, with both John Engler and Brian McCuskey, a continuing conversation about how to serve students best and foster a love for language and literature.”