Master's Degree Opened World Of Opportunities For Dallas TESOL Professor
Ken Myers earned his bachelor's degree in anthropology from the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) but found it to be the starting point of a life filled with great experiences.
What made you decide to study anthropology?
"It's my passion. It's also frequently ranked as one of the most worthless things to major in, economically, but it is a gateway to wonderful opportunities."
What made you pursue your master's degree?
"My second son was born at just about the time I was to graduate, and I was working for almost minimum wage in a grocery store kitchen. In a flash of inspiration/desperation, I realized that there was a master's degree that was sufficiently related to my bachelors that I could use some of the knowledge I had, but ALSO stood a chance at securing me a good job: TESOL, or Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages. I earned a master's degree from UTSA in Education – TESOL.
I landed my first adjunct professorship before I even graduated with my masters, and I graduated with it (two years from when I had begun). I became a "gypsy adjunct," driving from college to college to teach one class here and another class there."
How did having a master's degree affect your employment prospects?
"I got my first full-time job, working as the director of the ESL program for the community college in Denison. The State Department of the United States has an English Language Fellows program where they send professors to foreign countries to teach English to speakers of other languages. I lived and taught in the Philippines.
Having a master's degree was a huge financial boost. I make three to four times more money having my master's degree instead of just staying with a bachelor's degree. It opened up new avenues for me, and I was able to travel to foreign countries and teach people over 8,000 miles away from my home. I think getting my masters degree was a brilliant decision, and I don't know where my life would be if I hadn't done it.
Robin D. Everson is a native Chicagoan who resides in Dallas, Texas. Her appreciation for art, food, wine, people and places has helped her become a well-respected journalist. A life-long lover of education, Robin seeks to learn and enlighten others about culture. You can find her work at Examiner.com