A Teacher-Created Resource Produced from the Heart
Two years after graduating from Florida Atlantic University, while sitting at the same table in Barnes & Nobles that I used to study in for my exams, I noticed two students on separate tables reading the same book. I asked one of them, “What class are you guys taking?” I found out that they weren’t in a class together, nor did they go to the same school, and that this wasn’t a school workbook.
The book, Path to Scholarships® 5 Step Student Guide had all the tools to assist all students attend college almost debt-free. It was a user-friendly career, college, and scholarship guide that empowers students with checklists, planning forms, and organizational tools to complete college and scholarship applications successfully.
After reading a couple of chapters, I understood why it was so popular. All students face the same problems: they need money for college, they are overwhelmed with long lists of scholarships, and many times do not know what to organize and when, how or where to start.
I would have definitely taken advantage of this book, had I known about it when I was attending classes. Today, five years after discovering the book, I had the honor of meeting and sitting next to the founder of Path to Scholarships®,June McBride, M.A. for a Q&A. Here is our conversation:
Tell me about your childhood.
Growing up with a single mother in the Ponce De Leon Public Housing Projects in Tampa, Florida, was a struggle. My mother spoke limited English, worked six days a week for 50 cents an hour, and I was left alone with my two siblings in the neighborhood without any supervision at a young age.
What has been the greatest obstacle you have had to overcome?
The fear of public speaking has been my greatest obstacle. I stuttered as a child, and was made fun of by my siblings and other children in school and in the neighborhood. This started many fights, but luckily I never lost.
At 14 years old, my pastor’s wife asked me if I would assist her with the two-year-olds’ kid class, and gave me an illustrated story to share. I was in total panic. “How could I share a story when I stutter?
All the children will laugh at me!” But, she would not take no for an answer.
The following Sunday morning, I walked into the children’s class, feeling sick of my stomach. The words would not come out of my mouth, and tears started to flow. I was so humiliated! I noticed that the children weren’t making fun of me, instead they looked confused about what was happening. Then pastor’s wife put her arms around me and said, “It’s okay! You’ll do better next week.”
Eventually, working with the children became a joy for me. We sang songs, did art projects, had a snacks and play time together. I would visit their homes with church members, to do what we could to assist the families.
You have been in education for most of your life. What got you started?
The next big step in my life was at 16 years old. I was given the opportunity to be an assistant counselor for Christian camp with girls from 9 years of age to high school for the summer.
That summer changed my life as I counseled and listened to the stories and struggles of the girls. I made a decision to serve and invest in the lives of young people, so I decided to go to college to become a teacher and a counselor. As I began to serve and focus on the youth and their needs, my ability to speak improved and I stuttered less.
What has been your educational experience?
My teaching experience has included public and private schools, home schooling, and educating students from elementary through college.
When did you begin assisting students to apply successfully to college and for scholarships?
In 1993, we moved from Tampa, Florida to Winter Garden, Florida. My husband and I begin teaching at West Orange High School. After the first year, I was offered the position of a counselor, resource teacher for Title One, Migrant Education, a Drop-out Prevention Program.
My job was assisting the migrant students 9-12th to attend school, graduate, and assist them with planning post-secondary education, which included college and scholarship readiness and planning.
I was content with all my job requirements except the scholarships.
This began my journey, which resulted with the migrant seniors every year, winning a majority of all the scholarships at the high school. In August 1999, my administrator came to me and asked, “What are you doing? Everyone is talking about the success of the migrant seniors, and they want you to share your strategies at the next Florida Migrant State Conference.” I went home that Friday afternoon and began writing everything I did with the students and adding my worksheets and organizational forms.
On Monday morning, I shared a copy of my draft with my administrator, and her smile grew wider as she read through my draft. She told me, “You cannot give this away at the conference. You need to publish it and sell it.” That was the birth of Path to Scholarships® 5 Step Student Guide which was the result of, “Teacher-created resources produced from the heart.”
At my presentation at the Florida Migrant State Conference, September 1999, I shared my strategies, methods, and organizational plan which is a user-friendly career, college, and scholarship guide that empowers students with checklists, planning forms, and organizational tools to complete college and scholarship applications successfully. The responses of the educators were a true confirmation that all students and educators needed what I had shared.
The educators present told me, “We needed what you shared with us yesterday for our students.” When I mentioned I was going to publish a student guide, the response was positive, “When can we purchase a copy of your student guide?” I was also told that I needed to present my work at the next National Migrant Conference.
At the National Migrant Conference in April 2000, in San Diego, CA., I presented a published copy of the first edition of Path to Scholarships® 5 Step Student Guide, and it began my national journey to present educator, parent, and student workshops throughout the country for the past
20+ years. This has assisted students nationally to win millions of dollars of scholarships making it possible for many students a debt-free college degree.
My life purpose is to serve, encourage, influence the future leadership of this nation by teaching, motivating, and inspiring young people and their parents through the Path to Scholarships® Program and Book Series. My desire is to help them to build character in their lives, to identify their life purpose and goals, and to serve their communities and our nation in every profession.
Do you have any personal quotes?
“Dare to dream great dreams!”
“Dream it, plan it, work hard, and achieve it!”
“It is not the dreams you dream, but the choice you make!”
“Teacher-created resources produced from the heart!”
To purchase a copy of Path to Scholarships® or to contact June McBride, use the info below:
Website: PathToScholarships.com
Phone: 407-462-7659
Fax: 866-538-9975
Email: [email protected]
Mailing Address: P. O. Box 536, Oakland, FL 34760
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