Graduate School in Monterey

A few months ago Donny came home from school and told me about this neat graduate school in Monterey, California that his professor told him about. I was instantly picturing 17 mile drive, Cannery Row, and the year round Farmer's Markets. Donny didn't think too much about it, and we just let it be. Later that night, he was restless and couldn't get it off his mind. 

And here we are now. 

Almost done with school at BYU-Idaho, waiting to start student teaching, and then ready to start the next phase! We are elated at his acceptance. The Monterey Institute of International Studies (MIIS) houses one of the top programs in TESOL. Also, MIIS has seemingly endless connections to corporate, government, and educational career options. 

President Gordon B. Hinckley said, "Education is the key which will unlock the door of opportunity to you." We both believe that very much. It is very humbling to think of all the help we received from family, friends, professors, and ecclesiastical leaders. We are full of gratitude looking back, acutely seeing where the Lord's hand directly placed us in situations that would lead us to where we are now.

 "The Lord is in the details of our lives." -President Thomas S. Monson 

Just to give you a glimpse of his stellar skills, this is a portion of Donny's statement of purpose, the main document in his application. 

"I feel that my life experiences have prepared me for a challenging, but rewarding, profession in TESOL. I was fortunate to grow up near Fresno, California where my friends, who belonged to races and cultures from across the globe, helped me to gain a broader cultural perspective. I was raised by loving parents: my father, a farmer, my mother, a librarian. They passed down to me a heritage grounded in hard work, gratitude, and an appreciation of music and literature. I was blessed to share my childhood with seven siblings, all of whom taught me about cooperation, communication, and how to enjoy continual chaos. These combined factors have forged who I am and have helped me to realize that I want to spend my life helping English language learners to not merely cope in an English language environment, but to thrive in it.

It was while I was living in Mexico that I became more aware of my desire to study TESOL. I had just started a two-year mission for my church and I was frustrated. I was exhausted, physically ill and a little homesick too. Above all, I felt useless because my conversational abilities in Spanish were scant. After weeks of practice, I understood my first full sentence: “Dámelo!” That meager triumph of understanding was a turning point for me. In the following weeks, as I struggled to listen and speak, I discovered that I was capable of expressing myself in progressively meaningful ways. As my communication skills improved I became less of a stranger and more of a friend to the Mexican people. I felt included. I felt important again. The German poet Goethe once said, “He who speaks only one language sees the world with only one eye.” Having personally experienced the thrill of breaking a second language barrier, I consider it my life’s work to empower others with that liberating experience." 

We'll keep you all updated as more fun things come our way!