ORU's Johnavon Carpio describes teaching as his "life's calling." For Johnavon, this calling begins in Angleton, Texas. This is home to Johnavon's mom, an educator who teaches English and science in the Angleton Independent School District. Johnavon says his mom is a great teacher; she's also the inspiration for who he wants to be.

"My mom's had a big impact on my life," Johnavon said. "As a teacher, she does an amazing job representing what it looks like to care for your students. I see her having a positive impact on the kids around her. Students who might be struggling always feel welcomed by my mom. They know they can go to her without being judged, and that's beautiful to me."

More Than a Career; An Opportunity for Impact

In life, not everyone follows their calling. Some go a different route, which was how Johnavon started at ORU. During his freshman year, Johnavon bounced from sports medicine to electrical engineering. As an engineering major, Johnavon found something he loved, but at the same time, he says it wasn't what he was supposed to do.

"What finally sold me on being an educator," Johnavon said, "was a men's group at ORU. During a meeting, one of the guys shared the story of King Solomon, a man who was rich but who ultimately fell from his pedestal. Hearing that story, I realized I was pursuing engineering for all the wrong reasons. The next day, I jumped into education, and I signed up to serve in Tulsa Public Schools as a Reading Partner."

That first experience was emotional for Johnavon. As a Reading Partner, he met weekly with a second grader who struggled in the classroom, couldn't read, and wore two left shoes to school. This, however, was where Johnavon fell in love with education.

"I had the opportunity," Johnavon said, "to impact that little girl. I got to show her the love and joy of the Lord. Each time we met, I didn't just teach her something; I was also a light in her life. Supporting a child who wasn't getting the attention she needed … that was the biggest thing that sold me on teaching."

A Light in the Classroom

As a teacher in training, Johnavon says one of the most important lessons he's learned at ORU is to be relational. It's a lesson he picked up from Dr. Darius Kirk, Assistant Professor of Undergraduate Education. Johnavon calls Dr. Kirk an "amazing professor" and an "amazing guy." And why is Dr. Kirk so amazing? Because, as Johnavon describes it, Dr. Kirk wants his students to leave the classroom better than when they came in.

"At the start of Dr. Kirk's class," Johnavon said, "we take five minutes to reflect on our day. We really think about what's going on in our lives. After that, we raise our hands, holding up our fingers, and score the day on a scale of 1 to 5. Then, Dr. Kirk asks, 'What can I do to make your day a 5? What can I do to help you have a better day?' He does this for every single person in the room. There might be 30 people in class, and he still goes person to person, looking at their hands and asking what they need."

The "Dr. Kirk approach" is the approach Johnavon wants to bring to teaching. He wants to build community in the classroom. He wants to help students who are having a bad day. And most of all, he wants education to be his mission field.

"My philosophy of education," Johnavon said, "is to be relational and to know all my students personally. Each day, I want to take the extra step to be there for the students I teach, whether that's eating lunch with them or just talking about life. Teaching for me is about showing love. Even if I'm in a classroom where I can't name Jesus, I can still share Jesus' love with the students I'm teaching."

Nationally Ranked, Globally Recognized

ORU is a Christian, Spirit-empowered, interdenominational university in Tulsa, Oklahoma, with 17 years of consecutive enrollment growth. Regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, ORU offers over 150 majors, minors, concentrations, and pre-professional programs at the bachelor's level, ranging from business and engineering to nursing, ministry, and more. Under the leadership of President Dr. William Wilson, ORU is preparing students from all 50 states and 174 nations in the last 6 years to be whole leaders for the whole world.