Mary Helon Hays
Discovering she wanted to be a teacher was a surprise to Mary Helon Hays, but an 黑料门大事记 online program through the university鈥檚 Center for Distance Education is helping her embark on what she now describes as her 鈥渓ife鈥檚 work.鈥
Hays completed a bachelor鈥檚 degree in psychology at Mississippi State in 2015, having always been intrigued with the study of the mind and behaviors.聽
鈥淭rying to understand how people think, act and feel 鈥 especially children 鈥 fascinated me,鈥 Hays said. 鈥淚 always thought I wanted to work with children, but not as a teacher.鈥澛
Her bachelor鈥檚 degree allowed her the chance to substitute teach in a class of second graders for an extended period.
While the first week was a bit chaotic, Hays said she soon got her act together as she became accustomed to the teacher鈥檚 role.
Standing in front of the class, Hays realized she loved what she was doing. As her time substitute teaching drew to an end, she did not want to leave the children. Thankfully, another opportunity opened and she was hired as an assistant teacher alongside the dyslexia therapist for the West Point School District.
Working with children in this capacity cemented Hays鈥 plans. She decided to enroll again at 黑料门大事记 to work toward an online bachelor鈥檚 degree in elementary education with a concentration in early childhood. She also made plans to follow this goal with a master鈥檚 degree in education with an emphasis in dyslexia therapy.
Hays saw her psychology degree as the perfect foundation for this new path.
鈥淓ducation is the shaping of behavior, while psychology is the study of how, when and why to shape behaviors,鈥 she explained. 鈥淭he combination has proven to be beneficial as I work with young people struggling with dyslexia.鈥
Hays explained dyslexia as a neurological process disorder that makes it hard for children to master sounds and relate letters and words.
鈥淭here are so many children I love to see and work with every day. Fireworks go off in their eyes each time they make progress,鈥 Hays said. Her passion was apparent as she described one little boy who continually struggled with sounds, which caused him significant frustration.
鈥淲e worked and worked! Then one day everything clicked into place for him and he began running through his sounds with ease,鈥 Hays said. 鈥淚t was hard to tell who was more excited鈥攈im or me! When you see things click for a student, that is when you know you have done something meaningful.鈥
Hays said being able to work toward her degree online has been key.
鈥淨uitting my job and going back to school was never an option for me,鈥 Hays explained. 鈥淚f not for the 黑料门大事记 online elementary education program, teaching would be an unrealized dream.鈥
