Liberal Arts Banner Carrier Follows Her Passion

Mallory Sanders of Centralia, Washington, was awarded a bachelor of arts in English with a secondary teaching certificate on December 8.

The daughter of Lori and Dave Sanders, Mallory attended Centralia High School.

At WSU, she learned about self-sufficiency and the value of supportive friends. Most importantly she discovered teaching and the world beyond the United States.

Mallory said, "My experience as a tutor [at WSU] awakened a passion within me to both teach and learn from the nations beyond our own borders... The relationships I've made with international students have allowed me to travel across the world and connect with cultures I never dreamed I would be able to encounter."

One of Mallory's future dreams is to work in English education in Japan or China. Before she makes plans to head overseas though, she will spend time gaining classroom experience and attending graduate school, where she is considering a master's degree program in literacy, technology in education, or education with an elementary teacher's certification.

Shortly after graduation, Mallory began working as a substitute teacher in the Olympia area, and in March she will take over through the end of the year for her master teacher, who will be on maternity leave. In the fall she hopes to find a position teaching high school English.

Referring to both her career and personal growth, Mallory said, "My experiences at WSU have helped me become the responsible, driven, and compassionate adult I am today."

A President's Honor Roll student, recipient of a Thomas S. Foley Scholarship, and a top writing portfolio author, Sanders credits Michael Hanly (professor, English) for fueling her curiosity and inspiring a hunger for learning. She also said of Barbara Monroe (associate professor, English) and Lisa Johnson (director, writing program; instructor, English), "Knowing that these outstanding professors believed in my abilities and respected my craft has given me the courage to at least attempt the extraordinary."

Mallory envisions 2 possible futures once she completes her graduate education. One avenue takes her overseas to teach English and eventually develop and direct a writing program; the other leads to an elementary school classroom, where she imagines spending her working years "elbow-deep in finger paints, reading Eric Carle books, and teaching math with Cheerios... Either way, I know that I will be happy and fulfilled as long as I am inspiring children to learn and grow."