Fellows/USA Profile: Jim Burkett

Ecuador 1962-1964

Back in 1962, at an age when most teens are thinking about the prom, graduation parties, or what it will be like living hours from their parents when they go away to college, Ohioan Jim Burkett was going through Peace Corps training in Montana and Puerto Rico and acquainting himself with Ecuador, his host country to be.

With special authorization from President Kennedy allowing him to serve at age 17, Burkett served his Peace Corps tour helping improve the local agricultural economy and teaching English in the evenings.

Because of his experience working on his father’s Ohio farm and his involvement with Future Farmers of America, he was well prepared for his assignment. More details about his overseas experience appear in the May 1963 issue of Seventeen magazine.

Nearly 40 years later, after completing active duty in Vietnam, earning his associate degree, working as a systems engineer, rejoining the Army, then retiring in 1992 as a first sergeant, he decided once again to get involved with the Peace Corps. His Peace Corps service “was a long time ago but seems like yesterday,” said Burkett. “The information gets into your mind and leaves an imprint that’s unbelievable.”

He enrolled in the Fellows/USA teacher education program at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP). After earning a bachelor’s degree in natural science, which, combined with teaching credentials would make him extremely marketable, he decided to pursue a career in teaching.

“The best part of the [Peace Corps] experience was working with the people,” said Burkett. “In the evenings I formed English classes. That’s where I found it extremely satisfying to be a teacher.”

Because he is an RPCV and was already planning to obtain a master’s degree, he said that his entry into UTEP’s Fellows/USA program made sense. His master’s studies are in the geochemistry area of the environmental sciences, with a focus on nuclear waste disposal. His minor is in education. Burkett is currently finishing the requirements for teacher certification. For his internship, he teaches high school biology and chemistry to at-risk youth at Tejas School of Choice in El Paso’s Ysleta School District. The students are mostly Hispanic and from 17 to 20 years old.

“Tejas is an alternative school where the majority of kids are generally those who lost credit in their regular high schools because of truancy,” said Burkett. “Through strict discipline we are able to get them graduated. We cover the material in half the time.”

The students also have the advantage of small class sizes of between eight and 17. One way Burkett captures their attention is by organizing interesting experiments like extracting DNA from bananas.

“When you’re able to come down to their level and reteach and reteach and talk,” said Burkett, “the kids really like that. At a regular high school, the teacher says something once and the students have to catch it,” he added.

Burkett describes his students as “very proud kids.” “They respect those who really want to help them. When you show them how serious you are about making them become successful, they do the work.”

He also attributes his success with his students to his ability to relate to their situations. “They don’t know how to apply themselves. I see myself in those kids when I was their age,” said Burkett. “I was active in track, band, and baseball, but agriculture was what I was really interested in. Academic subjects were the least of my desires.”

He now realizes the importance of academics and plans to continue teaching at Tejas School of Choice after he completes his fellowship. “I’ll stay at my current school for five or six years and then I’ll retire,” he said.

Last updated Sep 29 2008