Waxahachie, Texas – January 27, 2017 – Transitioning from the classroom to the work field can be quite the adjustment for college graduates. Fortunately, recent Southwestern Assemblies of God University (SAGU) graduates Jacqueline Rose and Christina Sandefer were able to undergo this transition together as teachers at Life Middle School .
Both Rose and Sandefer graduated from SAGU in the spring of 2015. Rose graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Theatre Education while Sandefer completed her bachelor’s degree in Music Education. While the two must have certainly crossed paths on SAGU’s campus, neither Rose nor Sandefer knew one another until their newfound teaching positions brought them together at Life Middle School.
“We graduated the same semester and never met once at SAGU,” Rose says. “We met when she became the choir director and she has been such a blessing.”
Rose is SAGU’s first graduate to ever major in Theatre Education. Upon graduating, she was able to quickly find a teaching position at Life Middle School.
In her first year teaching, she directed “You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown,” and “Good-Bye to the Clown.” Both of which were for the University Interscholastic League ’s One-Act Play Contest .
The One-Act Play Contest is the largest high school play production contest or play festival in the world. More than 14,000 Texas high school students in more than 1,200 plays participate in 300 plus contests.
Rose also won “Teacher of the Month” for April in 2016.
In addition, several of Rose’s students from last year have graduated and gone on to act in varsity theatre classes in high school.
“She is very knowledgeable,” Sandefer says. “She can break it down so that first-time-theatre students can understand it.”
Sandefer came in as the choir director just a few months after Rose started and began collaborating with her to teach theatre.
Sandefer has also seen tremendous growth during her time at Life Middle School. When she started in September of 2015, there were only two choir classes. As a result, she began teaching theatre classes with Rose.
This year, Sandefer co-teaches musical theatre with Rose and is now teaching four choir classes throughout the day. There has also been a significant spike in the size of the school’s choir from approximately 48 students to 90 students.
Both Sandefer and Rose believe that their time at SAGU has played a monumental role in their values and goals as educators.
With a bachelor’s degree in Education and Youth and Student Ministries, Sandefer is still pursuing a full-time career in ministry. “Eventually, I will no longer be teaching, but while I am, I have learned so much from the student teaching program at SAGU. I learned so much from the one-on-one attention I received from professors. You don’t get that from everywhere you go and from high-quality professors,” Sandefer said.
Rose said that the attention she received from SAGU’s dedicated faculty and staff, especially Ronnie Blount, Assistant Professor of English & Theatre, have played a significant role in her career.“At a lot of colleges or universities, it is hard to get involved in a department,” Rose says. “One of the great things about SAGU Theatre is that it is very welcoming in the way that they conduct it.”
As Rose and Sandefer continue to teach, their friendship with one another will always be valued.
“Her and I work so well together,” Sandefer says. “We both love the Lord and we both have the same goals and aspirations. We want to see these kids grow in their character.”
To learn more about SAGU’s Theatre Education program, click here .
About SAGU:
Southwestern Assemblies of God University is a private, Christian university located 30 minutes south of the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex in Waxahachie, Texas. The university was established in 1927, and now offers more than 70 associate, bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees on campus or online. More information is available at www.sagu.edu or by calling 1-888-YES-SAGU.
