#WhyIChoseEducation: ‘We Have the Power and the Influence To Change a Child’s Trajectory for the Best,’ Says Kendrick Alston ’13MSA, ’18EDD

A few years ago, Kendrick Alston ’13MSA, ’18EDD was given the opportunity to help reshape Foust Elementary, part of Guilford County Schools, into an innovative learning environment centered on gaming and robotics. 

Now located in a brand new building, Foust Gaming and Robotics Elementary School officially opened its doors to students in January, with Alston as the school’s principal. 

The school is designed, he said, to ensure students are developing all the skills they need to succeed in today’s changing world.

What Sets Foust Gaming and Robotics Elementary School Apart:

Our vision is our students are really going to understand a lot of the behind-the-scenes stuff that happened with gaming and robotics. Do they understand the coding that goes into game design? Do they understand the component of graphic design that goes into creating the settings? Do they understand the musical element of the game and how that brings the story to life? 

There’s a lot of work around design thinking that our students are going to do, but they’re also building perseverance, building problem solving and working in collaborative groups. It’s not just the technical skills, but what are those adaptive skills that students are going to need to function in society?

What I Enjoy Most About Being Principal:

When I think about how far our students come and how much our teachers grow and develop over the course of the year, it’s so exciting. Being able to witness that firsthand every day gets me very excited about this work, but also knowing that what we do truly matters, because we have the power and the influence to change a child’s trajectory for the best. 

Why I Chose Education: 

I was volunteering at a local daycare at Fayetteville State University. The last day, I’ll never forget, I had a student ask me if I was coming back. I promised him I was going to come back and check on him, and I remember when I left daycare that day something hit me: “Wait a minute, I think I want to be a teacher.”

I just feel like teaching found me. I had had no aspirations to become a teacher, but when I got a taste of it, I realized this is what I’m meant to do, and I absolutely love it.

What I Enjoyed Most About the NC State College of Education:

Overall, I just had an amazing experience with NC State. The support that we receive, the networking, the resources that we receive — they constantly send us things every month to make sure that we have up-to-date resources. The professors were absolutely top notch, and the thing that I really enjoyed about them is no matter how busy they got, they were always approachable.

To get that support so early on in the program, and just everything they provided for us, it was truly amazing. I absolutely loved it.

What Others Should Know About the College of Education:

I would just tell any student who is thinking about attending NC State that it would be one of the best decisions you make in your professional career, but also personally as well, because of the investment that they make in you as a person.

The Last Thing That Inspired Me: 

I have a fourth-grade student who had been having a difficult time this year, but the student sat down with me one day, and we had a conversation about how he likes to draw and how he loves Dragon Ball Z and anime. I figured out a way to get him in some 2D and 3D animation classes so that he can harness that gift that he has.

That student has done a complete 180. He is much more focused in class, because now he has something that he feels like he’s working toward. That just inspired me to know that sometimes taking the time to sit down and talk with a student can really open up a world of possibilities.