There is a Chinese proverb that states, "If you give a man a fish, you can feed him for a day; if you teach a man to fish, you can feed him for a lifetime." The great examples of this type of education are all around us in Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) and Adult Literacy classrooms as well as school, public, academic, and hospital libraries and information centers. 

As a FCS student teacher, I created an environment in which students engage in problem solving, and critical thinking while learning about nutrition and wellness; family & human development; consumer economics and family resources; and career, community, and family connections. I believe students learn best in a safe and respectful environment where they can freely share and discuss issues in our rapidly-changing world that affect individuals, families, and communities at the local and global scales.

As an Adult Literacy Educator, I carried over my values from FCS Education. In 21st Century, adolescents and adults need to learn to communicate through conversation, literature, and digital means. I taught to help adults grasp the English language as well as secondary and post-secondary subjects such as Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, Computer Literacy, and Civics. In these courses, I also incorporated health literacy and nutrition information, because I find that the majority of students are interested in being self-sufficient when it comes to self-care.

Overall, I believe in teaching my students the life skills they will need in the future to tackle issues. As a Library and Information Science professional, I hope to help others regardless of age and background gain access to information that they are seeking and protect library users' freedoms to learn free from judgment, particularly in the areas of health. I also strive to practice critical librarianship to ensure my colleagues and customers will question who is in charge of the systems that create, publish, disseminate, and preserve information. Teaching people how to find and evaluate the resources and information systems they need fulfills the idea of teaching people to fish for themselves. I believe it even goes a step further and empowers people decide for themselves if the environmental conditions are appropriate for fishing and if the fish is healthy enough to be eaten.

Where does my Engineering Studies coursework within my guiding philosophy? Good question. Through my Engineering coursework, I learned to solve problems via observation, systems analysis, experimentation, and collaboration with the ultimate goal of creating sustainable solutions. While I never became a professional engineer, I understand the value of engineers, the professionals who work together to solve the world's greatest problems. Engineers can be a part of the change that leads to better environmental conditions and more efficient equipment to make it easier for all people to fish in a sustainable way.

I am currently pursuing a Master of Public Health degree and aspire to bring my skills in systems-level thinking in improving the wellbeing of the world around me.