Today@Sam Article

Education Student Takes Learning to New Heights

Feb. 24, 2025
SHSU Media Contact: Mikah Boyd

Marcus Robinson knows that the best teachers are those who uplift their students, especially those who are struggling. The education major began supporting students from an early age by leaving motivational notes on the quizzes he would help his father grade.

“I loved when he would take me to the school to see his classroom and students,” Robinson said. “I’ve always had a passion for education and school. Seeing the impact that great teachers have had on my life and other people’s lives made me realize I want to do the same thing for my future students.”

The impact that his fifth-grade teacher left influenced his decision to participate in a student teaching program during high school, which brought him back to his beloved instructor’s class as a teaching assistant. As he worked alongside her, the spark that had ignited during those grading sessions with his father grew into a fiery passion for brightening children’s futures through education. His subject of choice: middle school English.

“I’ve always loved the communication part of English. The writing part is good, but the communication part of it, expressing yourself verbally or orally, I just love that part of it,” Robinson said. “You’re able to interpret so many things from one text and that really connects with me.”

As his time in high school came to a close, so did his time as a student teacher, and Robinson set out on a search for where he would continue his education. He had heard of Sam Houston State University through one of his instructors early in his academic career, but a class trip to the Huntsville campus in his senior year showed him his future home.

“It was such a great experience seeing the college for myself, it wasn’t too big or too small. I realized that I could still get that full college experience that I really wanted,” Robinson said. “I could really see myself being here and getting the skills and knowledge that I need in order to become a great teacher, like the ones I’ve had in the past.”

While Robinson was entering the university as a first-time student, he acquired an associate’s degree alongside his high school diploma and is already a junior taking higher-level coursework. His aptitude for education was apparent to the staff at SHSU’s College of Education, who informed him of the Charles Butt Scholarship for Aspiring Teachers.

Offered by the Charles Butt Foundation, the scholarship provides $8,000-10,000 per year for up to four years at 20 university-based educator preparation programs across the state. The foundation does so in pursuit of its vision of making teaching the most desirable profession for Texas’ most talented while also removing the barrier of cost for those aiming to be trained in a highly effective teacher preparation program. The foundation identified Robinson as someone aligned with its values and awarded him the highly regarded scholarship to support his endeavors.

“I was super excited to hear that I won the scholarship, I couldn’t believe it, it was a dream come true. I can accomplish my goal as a teacher and teach students that may not have all the money or resources that others have and still give them a good education and good school experience,” he said.

Equipped with the financial support he needed, Robinson has thrived while at SHSU . He has found his community through various campus organizations and groups such as the Baptist Student Ministry (BSM) and the Sam Houston Student Council for Exceptional Children (SHCEC). Through his involvement in the BSM, Robinson has found friendship and a sense of belonging that spurs him to foster a similarly welcoming environment for students with disabilities with the help of his colleagues in the SHCEC.

A branch of the globally renowned Council for Exceptional Children, SHCEC shares its mission of ensuring individuals with exceptionalities are valued and included in all aspects of life. One of the ways that the SHCEC has supported local children was by hosting a Special Olympics event, where Robinson served as emcee and co-host.

“It was so amazing to see all the kids out there having fun,” he said. “They really enjoyed themselves and it was a great experience for everyone. I got to know more about disabilities and how to help students with disabilities have fun.”

On top of supporting students of all abilities, Robinson is looking forward to uplifting children with backgrounds that may vary from his own. Through his experience at SHSU, Robinson has been exposed to a plethora of cultures and perspectives, which has prepared him for his future career goal of working at Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District.  

“I feel like being able to be here, socialize and learn so much about different cultures will definitely help me to be a better teacher,” Robinson said. “When I go into the classroom and have students from different cultures, I will be able to understand the cultures to a better degree than I would have before college. Because of Sam Houston, I feel like I’ll be a lot more knowledgeable about my field and will be able to give my students the great experience that I had in school.”

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