Wednesday, June 3, 2009

English-born UNM-VC valedictorian learns American grammar, punctuation

Julia M. Dendinger News-Bulletin Staff Writer; jdendinger@news-bulletin.com

Tomé As the school year at Desert View Elementary School wound down and students headed into the lazy days of summer, kindergarten assistant Sara Graf found herself a little sunburned, a little sore from the Slip 'n' Slide and a little exhilarated.

"You are the grown-up authority figure all year long, but for one day at the end of every year, you get to cut loose and have fun with them," she said of the end-of-year festivities.

Not only was she excited about getting to play in the water, but on May 15, Graf walked the line as the University of New Mexico-Valencia Campus' valedictorian. Being successful in her education was not new to her, but the ceremony was.

As a native of England, Graf had a different experience when it comes to concluding her various levels of education.

Graf came to the States with her diploma from the National Nursery Examination Board (NNEB), a two-year post-secondary educational program that is the equivalent to a degree in early childhood development.

"When I sat for my NNEB, I just called a few weeks later to see how I did," she said with a laugh. "After high school, they just mail you your results after finals. You're either a graduate or not. There was no graduation, no pomp and ceremony."

She found out she was the top student for this spring's class the Tuesday before the graduation ceremony at UNM-VC. Graf calls that day bittersweet. "That same day, I found out my husband was being deployed for six months," she said. "So it was a lot of ups and downs that day."

Graf met her husband, Bob, 20 years ago when he was stationed overseas with the U.S. Air Force; they have two daughters Katherine, 15, and Kira 12.

Calling her reaction to being named valedictorian "dumbfounded," Graf wasn't planning to walk the line, but then she reconsidered. "The VC gave a lot to me. I really enjoyed myself," she said. "Going to the graduation ceremony was a chance to celebrate myself. My kids have always been first and foremost, but this day was about me."

But the decision to go back to school and get her bachelor's in elementary education was for her kids, Graf said. "I was taking three or four classes at a time, a member of the parent/teacher organization, a Girl Scout troop leader, working full-time and a mom. Honestly, at some point, I looked around and actually thought, 'I'm not really that busy,'" she laughs.

"I wanted to show them there is an easier way to get a degree; right after high school is an easier path."

Getting an American degree has been a collective effort. "My family has been so supportive and come around me to help me do this," she said. "It really became a division of labor. I absolutely could not have done it without them."

Graf said she was genuinely surprised to learn that she was the valedictorian of the graduating class, saying hard work and taking pride in that work is what led to her outstanding GPA.

She had originally wanted to pursue pediatric nursing, but an aunt had a heart-to-heart with Graf that led her into education. "She told me the first time I lose a child will be awful," she said.

With her own daughters in school, Graf came to Desert View Elementary as a parent volunteer. "The principal, Jeannie Moore, said to me one day, 'you're here all the time, so why don't you get a job?'" Graf said. "Something became available, I applied and got the position."

But even though she loved each and every one of her kindergarten charges, Graf was feeling a tug to take on the challenge of older students.

"When my oldest was in fourth grade, I was substitute teaching a sixth-grade class. One boy was being a bit of a discipline problem so I took him aside to talk to him. He told me he only had to stay in school a few more years then he could quit and go to work," she said, pausing with tears in her eyes.

"It just broke my heart that was all he wanted, all he was striving for was just getting by. There is so much out there to be experienced and learned to have your only goal be to just scrape by."

While relating her experience to Moore, the principal told Graf if she wanted to influence their lives then go get her degree and do it. "So I had to go out and do it then," Graf said. "My dream is to work with fifth- or sixth-graders, and I am bound and determined to make this happen."

While she earned her two-year diploma in England, the program there doesn't produce transcripts and the credits don't transfer to the American university system.

"So I'm basically starting from scratch," Graf said of her college education experience. Ironically the most difficult class for Graf was English 101. "It really is completely different with the punctuation, grammar and spelling. My teacher worked so hard with me and was such a help," she said.

Going back to school also gave Graf the opportunity to learn U.S. and New Mexico history. "When I was in school, we concentrated more on world history and the British Empire," she said. "It really was a lot of fun. I met a lot of people and learned so many things."

Now that she has graduated with her associate's degree in general studies, Graf estimates she has about another six months of classes and her student teaching block to complete for her degree. "I'm nervous and excited," she said of the student teaching. "The teacher I've been working with the last three years has treated me as an equal not an assistant. So when I sit in that chair up there, the kids know I'm no different than the teacher."

Graf said the staff at the elementary school is caring and supportive. "I couldn't have done it without them," she said. "They are excited for me, and they are all so genuine."

She also has a great love and appreciation of the VC, as she calls the local UNM campus. "This summer I will be taking two upper level classes down here - educational psychology 310 and special education 493," she said. "They are offered at main campus but I can take them down here. I'm so glad I can do them here and not the big concrete jungle.

"It might be a cliché, but it's nice to be treated like a person. I had Dr. (Richard) Melzer for a class once. When I saw him at graduation, he remembered me and congratulated me on making valedictorian. We need more schools like the VC. For many students, this type of learning environment is better than a large, anonymous campus. If you want to continue your education the VC is the way to go. They will guide you and treat you like a person."

And anyone thinking about going back to school, Graf says they just need to go for it. "Yes, it will be hard work, but life is hard work," she said. "If life were easy, we'd all be sitting around on the beach with a cold drink."

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