Alumni Spotlights :: Winter 2005

Dr. Tanise Chung-Hoon

While Tanise Chung-Hoon is busy raising her family of four, and acting as the co-director for the LDS Foundation's Principal Gift Offices, she still found the time and energy to complete her Ph.D in Ed Leadership and Foundations at BYU.

Dr. Chung-Hoon's thesis titled, "Fund Raising From the Inside Out: How Structural and Relational Factors Influence External Network Relationships in Public Higher Education" directly related to her professional work.  She commented, "I actually got to see my school work apply in practice."

As the co-director in the Principal Gift's Offices, Dr. Chung-Hoon keeps close relationships with Brigham Young University's top donors. "These are wonderful people, with the spirit, who bless peoples lives-and I get to see it first hand," she said. 

Obtaining her doctorate was not Dr. Chung-Hoon's first experience as a student at BYU. Dr. Chung-Hoon did her undergraduate work at BYU in Finance. And even after the birth of her first son, she played for the women's basketball team at BYU. Her husband would bring their baby to the games to see mom play. Dr. Chung-Hoon recalls, "He was terrified of Cosmo."     

Throughout her life Dr. Chung-Hoon has realized the importance of education. She has taught at the college level and especially enjoys working in higher education. From her experiences Dr. Chung-Hoon believes that an educator can be like a cheerleader. "You are able to watch someone break out of their shell, and you are there to cheer them on," she said. In the future she sees herself continuing to work in higher education. Dr. Chung-Hoon said, "With my life, I really want to make a difference, what better way to do that than to serve in education?"

 

David S. Doty

No one will ever accuse David S. Doty of not liking school.  In 1989 he earned a bachelor's degree in Spanish from BYU.  He then moved on to Stanford where he earned a master's degree in education, only to return to BYU to complete a juris doctorate in 1993.  Finally he rounded out his education with a doctorate in education leadership from the McKay School in 1999.  His collage of educational experience then took him east to South Carolina where he has spent the past five years teaching education law at the University of South Carolina and serving as an attorney for public schools and colleges throughout the state.
David is currently back in Utah serving as Assistant Commissioner and Director of Policy Studies at the Utah System of Higher Education (USHE).  At USHE David yields his knowledge of education law to influence education policy and legislation throughout Utah.  In addition, he teaches education law at the University of Utah Graduate School of Education.
        

David has many fond memories of his time at the McKay School's Department of Educational Leadership. "The semester I took the school law class," said David, "I was the only student who registered, and I was sure that Dr. Wasden would cancel the class as a result. However, he held the class just for me and it was a terrific experience to have one-on-one instruction from a professor of his caliber."   Dr. Wasden and other BYU professors instilled in David "the importance of doing thorough, detailed, and accurate research." In addition, they helped him develop "a desire to serve others and to temper one's knowledge and skills with compassion."

This training proved invaluable as David worked in South Carolina with school administrators.  He said, "I was always cognizant of my mentors at BYU and the lessons they taught me about treating others with kindness, being true to one's principles, and earning respect by being thorough and prepared on the issues at hand."
 

Patrick Slowinski

"Never think that being an educator means teaching in the classroom only.  There are many careers that educators can choose."  This is the advice of former McKay School of Education student, and current U.S. Foreign Service Officer, Patrick Slowinski.  Slowinski, who graduated from BYU with an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership and Foundations in 2002, feels that government service is a great way for many educators to teach as well as learn.

"As a Foreign Service Officer, I love to travel, learn languages, and immerse myself and my family in new cultures," Slowinski said.

Slowinski has been serving as a Consular Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Warsaw, Poland for one year, and he has been working with the State Department for 15 months.  Slowinski, who previously worked for BYU in several capacities - including international student academic program coordinator, assistant director of freshman academy, special instructor and adjunct faculty member in BYU's Linguistics Department, and as an academic advisor - has proven an admirable representative of the McKay School of Education.  He was recently named a 2005 Hometown Diplomat by the Department of State.  In addition he is the recipient of the Benjamin Franklin Award for Service, also awarded to him by the Department of State.

Slowinski recently revisited his roots at BYU in June as a guest speaker for the Globe Focus Lecture Series organized by the Department of International Studies. Ever the educator, Slowinski is presently earning a degree in academic advising from Kansas State University.

 

Erin Winters

As a high school student in San Luis Obispo California, Erin Winters had no intention of attending BYU. However, after filling out a simple portion of the application online, BYU sent Erin a Christmas card and a t-shirt.  These small tokens changed Erin’s mind, and she applied and was accepted at BYU. After receiving her undergraduate degree in Psychology, Erin went on to earn her master’s degree in School Counseling Psychology in August 2004. That Christmas card and t-shirt forever changed Erin’s life.

Today Erin works in three schools in the Alpine School District as a School Psychologist. Erin is committed to helping children facing an array of difficult issues. She leads counseling groups at the schools and also meets with students individually. Erin explains that often the children have to focus so much on their problems that it can be discouraging. “I try to take a more positive approach and talk about what they are good at,” Erin said.

Growing up Erin always wanted to be a child daycare worker.  After taking a career exploration class at BYU she realized that being an Elementary School Counselor would in a way fulfill this goal. “One of the things I like most about my career is that it is preparing me to be a parent,” Erin commented. Parenting is definitely a pressing concern for Erin and her husband who are expecting their first child in October. 

In the future Erin would like to see more counselors and psychologists being utilized in the schools. She explains that in order to accomplish this they often have to fill multiple roles in the schools. “We’re showing that we’re needed, but we have to take on so much before there is a change,” Erin said. Erin’s work experience has taught her the importance of flexibility, social skills and patience. She also believes that those in her profession need a genuine love for children. “That’s something you can’t learn to do,” Erin concluded. 

 

Brittany Woodbury

Brittany Woodbury said she always wanted to be a teacher, so it was no surprise to family and friends when she decided to major in Elementary Education while attending BYU. After graduating in 2003, Brittany was a substitute teacher for a year across Utah Valley and the Wasatch Front before securing a contract to teach the second grade at Cedar Ridge Elementary in Cedar Hills.

Woodbury, from Fresno, California, enjoys music, traveling, reading, and dancing. She is one of three children and the only daughter. She is not the first teacher from her family; she has an aunt and some grandparents who preceded her as teachers. But she said her real inspiration to teach came as a result of her love for children.

Woodbury said that in her opinion, creativity is one of the most important tools a teacher needs to succeed. Recently, Woodbury's school put on a program featuring all 93 students in the second grade in a show called "Look What We Can Do." Woodbury spent three weeks preparing for the event and teaching the musical selections to the children. She said the program was hard work but well worth it.

Though Woodbury is the teacher, she says that her students help her learn just by being themselves. "Every day they teach me so much," she said. "That's one of the reasons I love teaching."

 

April Diaz

As a 12-year-old in Kenya, April Diaz taught primary children. As an educator in Salt Lake City, Diaz now teaches sixth-graders from around the world at Northstar Elementary School.

Last year the principal of Northstar Elementary asked Diaz to serve on the Instructional Improvement Team.  This allows her to continue to teach, but also to fulfill a personal goal of making education accessible to everyone.

“The key to success is education; the key to freedom is education,” Diaz affirms.

 April Diaz graduated from BYU in the spring of 2003 with a major in Elementary Education and a minor in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages).  She completed her senior practicum at Newman Elementary School in Salt Lake, and went on to an internship at Northstar Elementary, where she has remained for three years. 

For Diaz, the desire to help others achieve their potential is the most important instrument for an educator because she believes that education improves lifestyles.  Diaz also feels it is her responsibility to continue to grow and progress as an educator.

“I can know how to teach fractions, but not be reaching the kids that don’t want to learn.  I can’t be complacent and teach from the board.”

Diaz instructs a diverse class of sixth-graders, including one non-English speaker, several children learning English, and three special education students. With such an eclectic group, Diaz has the opportunity to perfect her classroom management skills and to construct activities that enable the children to learn from one another. Ultimately, she hopes to work in education reform.

“I see a lot of good things being done,” Diaz says positively, “but there are a lot of things I would [still] like to see done.”