Linda Akanbi, Ed.D.

I attribute my success to being goal-driven and confident in my ability to succeed despite all the odds. I had intrinsic motivation - it wasn't just what others expected of me or external incentives, it was something I wanted to do from within. I've always believed in persevering, that where there's a will, there's a way. For example, when I was getting my doctorate, I went through three different dissertation advisors. The first one moved away, the second one passed away, and the third one wrote me saying if I planned to move to Africa with my Nigerian husband, I should give up on getting my doctorate. I thought, has he lost his mind? I was pregnant, teaching full-time at Southern Illinois University, and on about seven different campus committees with a stepdaughter in kindergarten, but I was determined that I was not giving up on anything. I finished my dissertation and went back and defended it when my baby was just a few weeks old. I had not come that far and gone through blood, sweat, and tears just to give up. I also had a strong support system - people who believed in me and told me I was going to do great things. My mother always taught me that nobody is better than you are, you're just as good as the next person, and to never be afraid of authority. All of those things helped me succeed.

When I first started teaching school right out of college at age 21, I wanted to save the world. My advisor told me that if I could just make a difference in the life of one child, that would be enough. When I went to graduate school at the University of Buffalo, their motto was 'let each individual become all that he is capable of becoming,' which became the foundation of my teaching philosophy. My teachers also told me to find more than one way to teach anything, because all children don't learn the same way, and to never give up on a child. I learned that if a child fails in one program, you shouldn't use those same materials and methods again - you need to try something different. You need to reach each child, find out what they're interested in, and meet them where they are. My first mentor, Dr. Edwards, shared a powerful story with me. He was a D student in high school until one day a teacher came by his desk and said, 'Bud, you know what? You write well.' That simple encouragement changed his entire life - he became a professor and traveled the world. Years later, he went back to find that teacher and thank her, but instead of being happy, she was sad because she wondered how many other kids she could have helped by just saying a word of encouragement. That taught me how influential a teacher can be.

You need to have a passion for teaching and for helping your learners succeed. You have to know that the teacher is the most influential factor in a child's learning -- not the curriculum, not the instructional materials (including technology), not the parents, and not the neighborhood. Even though all of these factors may have some influence, research studies have shown time after time, that it is the teacher who makes the difference. I would also advise young women entering the teaching field to get to know their students and to take a personal interest in them as human beings. Get to know their background but be slow to judge. Learn to observe and to listen to your students. Everything that you need to know about teaching is not covered in your education courses or in the halls of academe.

I would say the biggest challenges right now are teaching children to read who are from different language and culture backgrounds, the cuts in federal funding for education programs, the government trying to control the curriculum, and books being banned. I think there are political efforts afoot to really miseducate our kids, and with the political climate now and all the anti-DEI, anti-wokeness movements, there are efforts to divide our country and move away from democracy. I think the opportunities lie in grassroots groups rising up, organizing, and ensuring that our children learn the academics and skills they need to succeed in life and be able to set high achieving goals. I went to a jazz concert recently that was a fundraiser for a scholarship program, and they had videos of students in college who had gotten scholarships talking about their very high goals - to do research, have nonprofits, encourage other children, make their music go far. I was really amazed and impressed by their goals, and it gave me a lot of hope. I think efforts need to be afoot to make sure that our children and youth are not miseducated because of political factions.

The values most important to me are honesty, integrity, respect, treating others as I wish to be treated, fairness, justice, honor, responsibility, and perseverance. These values have guided me throughout my career and personal life, helping me navigate challenges and stay true to my mission of helping students reach their full potential.