Senior Spanish education major Melissa Stephens admittedly never imagined she would one day be teaching in England, much less at a U.S. Military Department of Defense School. She will tell you though, all of that changed when she met her mentor, teacher and advisor Dr. Ruth Supko Owens, associate professor of Spanish at Arkansas State University.

Stephens, a native of Neelyville, Mo., will depart for High Wycombe, located just west of London, in August to perform her teaching internship, a requirement of all education majors. Her situation is unique for several reasons.

She is only the fourth ASU student to participate in an international student internship opportunity. She is the first ASU teacher intern to teach on a U.S. military base. And, this will mark the first time that this sort of travel and teaching opportunity is being sponsored by a Kellogg Foundation grant, according to College of Education Dean Dr. John Beineke.

Stephens’ trip to England through grant monies is opening numerous doors for other international ventures and the College of Education, Beineke added. The purpose of the grant is to "internationalize teacher education at ASU," according to the dean.

The grant will cover most of her expenses, including travel to visit other schools in England.

Owens had visited several sites for intern placement, including Venezuela and Puerto Rico, before Beineke selected High Wycombe. Puerto Rico was not an option after Sept. 11 because non-military personnel were not allowed on the military base, and because of political and economic turmoil in Venezuela that option was closed.

Beineke said he visited the principal at the DOD school near London and found it to be a perfect fit. Stephens will stay in a dormitory on the military base with other student interns, including three others from the United States.

Because British schools maintain different schedules from American schools, it is convenient that the military base school runs a similar schedule to schools in the U.S. Stephens will be in England from Aug. 18 through Nov. 23, almost completing an entire semester there.

Owens expressed satisfaction with the instructor under whom Stephens will be teaching.

"Her teacher, Dr. John O’Donnell, has been described as a ‘wonderful, master teacher’ by the principal. He shows a sincere interest in the language (Spanish) and will provide wonderful opportunities for Melissa," Owens said.

Previously when a teacher intern has traveled internationally ASU has had limited supervision of the program while it is ongoing. With the assistance of the grant, Owens will be able to travel to England in October and watch Stephens working in the field.

Typically if a student is participating in their internship locally, their advisors will make several brief visits and maintain contact through e-mail. Because distance is obviously a problem, Owens will have a more intense, but brief visit.

Technology will play an important role in Stephens’ internship. A satellite feed will be established so Owens may peek into Stephens’ classroom on occasion, and a digital camera will provide clips that may be mailed or e-mailed back to Arkansas.

Stephens will tell you she’s shy, but she lights up and talks easily about her exciting opportunity and promising future.

"I think of this trip as an honor; it’s going to be a great experience," Stephens said. "Working with a master teacher I will learn techniques that teachers here might not be exposed to. I have a lot of motivation because I’ve always wanted to be a Spanish teacher.

"When I met Dr. Owens, she influenced me more than anyone. When I first came to ASU she gave me a push."

Stephens says she hopes to complete her bachelor’s degree and teach in Northeast Arkansas or Southeast Missouri while working on her master’s degree in Spanish. She plans to pursue a doctorate and teach at a university.

Stephens, who traveled to Spain with Owens and a group of students from ASU, said she would like to go back.

"I would like to travel more. It’s nice to have experiences and hands-on things to show and share with my students. I want students to learn in my class and be excited about coming to Spanish class."

Through the Kellogg grant, Arkansas State University has been able to establish a formal agreement with other Department of Defense schools as well, allowing future ASU teacher interns to teach almost anywhere on the globe.

With Kellogg grant monies, agriculture education majors were able to conduct research in Costa Rica; venues in Mexico, Venezuela and Puerto Rico have been explored as future intern sites for Spanish education majors; more educational opportunities in England are also being looked into, for both students and teachers to earn graduate credit while examining curriculum there; and finally, importance is being placed on acquiring additional new technology to enhance their international experiences.

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