SUSAN GAUNT

Some thoughts:

Well, as you can see from the profile, my name is Susan Gaunt and I was one of the first two Yale students to pack my bags on graduation and head west to the Bluegrass state to become a teacher, something I had never planned on and certainly never anticipated. In my year and half in Kentucky, I have really begun to feel like a member of the community, not just like an outside visitor. The staff at my school is fantastic, and have taken me under their collective wings since day one. I really feel that at Conway, and in Louisville, I have created an adult life for myself that is both rich and fulfilling-and fun.

In college, I had the unique opportunity of transferring to Yale from the University of Chicago. Switching academic paths in the middle of the college experience really helped me learn a lot about myself, for instance that I love meeting new people and experiencing new places. Moving to Louisville has definitely given me that opportunity all over again. I've joined organizations and clubs, and found places and activities that I really enjoy going to again and again. I've continued interests that I began in college, such as playing rugby and exploring history.

What motivated you to move to Kentucky:

I moved to Kentucky for a variety of reasons. The first was that after living in Chicago for two years, I knew that I really liked the Midwest. There is something wholesome about people who are not ashamed to eat deep fried cheese curds or go to the opera in their parkas. I knew I wanted to live in a small city, that had all the advantages of a big city that I valued, like restaurants, good book stores, and enough people to get lost in, but that still had some of the things that I guess people have traditionally liked about small towns. Growing up in New York City, I never had the experience of mowing a lawn or having a barbeque with my neighbors. Louisville is a real community, where much of the population knows each other. This creates networks of support that really impact your quality of life.

That brings me to my second reason. I knew that when I became a member of Teach Kentucky that I would have as much support as I needed from a variety of sources-including my school, the University of Louisville, my mentors, and the Yale in Kentucky family. My mentor has spoken at my school; I run into members of the Yale club and the other Teach Kentucky alumni groups at the grocery store, and I know I can always call the other Teach Kentucky people to go out for ice cream or for a walk. The situation has, from my point of view, been ideal. You have as much support as you feel you need-leaving you free, as I often did, to strike out on your own.

Three other reasons for moving to Kentucky: I really like country music, which isn't all that popular in NYC, and in Kentucky, I am not alone. Reason number two: I got hired, a big plus in the job market I graduated in. Lastly, on my salary in Kentucky, my quality of life is dramatically better than it would be if I lived almost anywhere else. Where else can you get your own bathroom, bedroom and living room-in a good part of town-for $400 a month?

What do you hope to accomplish as a teacher:

As a teacher, I hope to open my students' eyes to some of the wonderful diversity present in our country. The school I work in is relatively homogenous. About 70% of the school is Caucasian, while the other 30% is African American. Over 50% of the student body is on free or reduced lunch. The average income of the community we serve is $13,000 annually for a family of four. The children I work with can easily alternate between being great and being extremely challenging-often both at the same time-and I feel that by working with them I am offering them-and me-the opportunity to learn about a culture, and about parts of the world, that were completely foreign to them.

As a reader, I also hope to leave my students with a love of reading and writing that they will carry with them all their lives. So many kids "hate" reading-but what they consider reading is not reading the way that most of the people I knew all my life read. If we teach kids to read, and to like to read, we teach them not just skills they need for school, but also skills they need to be reflective, successful human beings.

The best thing about your experience so far:

The staff at my school and the people I have met here in Louisville have to top this list. I have made friends in Louisville who have become an integral part of my life. I always have people I can call who I know will help me if I have a problem-be it car trouble or boy trouble (I'd probably call different people, admittedly)-and who I know genuinely care about me and care about my success. Teaching can be an isolating job-I've heard-but for me it has really opened the door to a series of communities where I feel at home and that have helped me to become a growing-if not yet excellent-teacher.

Your encouragement to others looking to follow you and come to Kentucky:

Three things I can point out as being the highlight of my experience in Louisville:

1. I am never bored. I always have something to do. In fact, I usually have three things.
2. You get to meet me and Rowan. 'nuff said.
3. Teach Kentucky and Louisville offer you the best opportunity I have ever heard of to not just teach without a degree, but to be successful at it. As someone who has been there, I know that there are people here who will do everything in their power to help you out. That is a powerful thing when you are far away from your family.