Wednesday, July 31, 2019
Jinna Alston knows the power of having a special teacher make a true difference in a student’s life because she was that student.
“One of my teachers, Ms. Bird, was a very important influence in my life,” Alston said. “She taught me to reach beyond my limitations and helped me develop strengths I didn’t know I had.”
Alston, a Mississippi State distance student and a fall 2018 recipient of a $1,000 “Distance Makes a Difference” Scholarship, shared her story in her scholarship application.
My family struggled financially,” she wrote. “We lived in an area that did not have electricity and we often struggled to make it to school. There were even some days when I would have to skip meals.”
On days Alston was able to attend classes, she was embarrassed at having missed lessons and felt she didn’t know enough to answer questions or complete classwork.
Bird saw what was happening and reached out. Soon the teacher was sharing her lunch with Alston and staying many days after school to help her catch up on assignments.
“We have a saying in our community, ‘We should never fill our stomachs when a neighbor is hungry.’ Ms. Bird’s actions certainly exemplified that for me,” Alston said. “Her kindness and mentorship gave me confidence in myself and my abilities despite my economic situation.”
Alston described marrying and starting a family while making the clear choice to put her academic goals on hold to concentrate on being a mom. However, the desire to further her education was never far from her mind.
When her daughter and son turned five and two, Alston decided it was time to pursue an online bachelor’s degree in elementary education with a middle school concentration. She credits MSU’s Center for Distance Education with allowing her to complete her degree while continuing to be the best mother possible and following her dreams.
“I am extremely grateful that MSU’s distance education program exists. Without it, it would be impossible for me to go back to school and complete my degree in a field I am passionate about,” she said.
An extremely happy Alston rushed to tell her husband when she found out she was the recipient of the CDE scholarship.
“Our finances were tight at the time, so my husband and I had decided I would have to skip the fall 2018 semester. With the scholarship, I knew I wouldn’t have to do that and would be able to continue without interruption to graduate as planned in fall 2019,” explained Alston, who plans to be an educator and make a difference in the lives of her students the same way her teacher made a difference in hers.
Mississippi State’s Center for Distance Education offers 47 accredited online programs. Distance education bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees, as well as professional certificates, are offered across the country and around the world.
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