AUSTIN (KXAN) — As the need for teachers across the state of Texas continues, Huston-Tillotson University is putting an emphasis on getting more students to go into teaching, especially men.
The African American Male Teacher Initiative is a program at HTU that looks to attract the best and brightest students who have an interest in teaching.
“We want the best,” said Dr. Anthony Fairley, who helps run the program. “If you look at the statistics, the number of African American males in education is about 2% in the entire country.”
The program looks to increase those numbers and get more men involved.
“My goal is to give kids inspiration,” said Kai Turntine, who is one of the scholars in the program.
Turntine is hoping to one day become a superintendent and along the way he hopes to inspire others to go for their goals as well.
“Some kids where I am from think sports is everything and I just want to tell people football will end, basketball will end, whatever sport you are playing will end and then you don’t give up on life,” said Turntine. “You don’t quit, you don’t say, oh I didn’t make it in this. Some people where I am from go to the streets or somewhere else.”
Ja’Quelan Sutton is a junior in the program. He said he was hoping to do something with sports, but when that did not work out, he went into a profession his mother was involved in, which is teaching.
“It gives me a rush and a feeling of excitement just knowing in the future years I am going to have an impact on kids just as my professors did to me,” Sutton said.
Currently the program has 16 scholars and is looking for more students who are interested in applying.
Students must maintain a 3.0 GPA and give back to the community with 30 hours of community service each semester.
Fairley said with the need for teachers, his students are walking out the door with jobs already lined up.
“If you don’t have eight offers in the fall of your senior year then something is going on,” Fairley said.
The program is setting these students up for success, but also giving the students a chance to inspire future generations to come.
“When I go back home they will tell me I see you, we see you and we are proud,” Sutton said.
