Former VGCC Student heads off to teach in Korea

The educational career of former Vance-Granville Community College student David DeShetler (pictured above) of Henderson has taken him across the state and now stretches across the Pacific Ocean. In August, he left for Korea, where he will find himself in front of a classroom.

DeShetler, 26, was home-schooled until enrolling at J.F. Webb High School in Oxford for his senior year. He took his first VGCC courses while he was home-schooled. “After high school, I didn’t really have plans to get a university degree,” DeShetler recalled. “But after attending Vance-Granville, my aspirations changed.” DeShetler was attracted to the community college because it was conveniently located and affordable. He started taking classes part-time at VGCC and studied off and on through 2005 while also working. DeShetler recalled that classes at VGCC, especially those taught by Morris Casper and Josh McKaughan, helped broaden his horizons and realize that he wanted to continue his education. “In Mr. McKaughan’s classes, he doesn’t just have you memorize dates, he emphasizes critical thinking. His classes gave me a new way of thinking about things,” DeShetler said. “Those critical thinking skills, and the self-discipline I learned at VGCC, prepared me for a four-year university.”

With his VGCC College Transfer credits under his belt, he enrolled at Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina in January of 2006. In December 2007, he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in anthropology, with a focus on archaeology. DeShetler chose that major because it melded religion and history, which had been his favorite subjects at VGCC.

After completing his bachelor’s degree, DeShetler was accepted into Ohio State University’s Near Eastern Cultures and Languages graduate program. Before he starts graduate studies, DeShetler has decided to take one year off and teach English in South Korea. He thought that, since he liked to travel, teaching there for one year would be a good way to immerse himself in another culture and save up for graduate school. DeShetler will be teaching conversational English to children ages eight through 12, full-time. “I could stay home and work 40 hours a week, or I could go to another country and experience an adventure,” DeShetler thought. Once he completes his year abroad, he plans to enter graduate school for a master’s degree, followed by a doctoral degree. His ultimate goal is to teach at the university level. That goal would not have been in sight without his successful community college experience, DeShetler said. “If I hadn’t come to Vance-Granville, I’m not sure I would’ve attended a four-year university,” he said. “Coming here helped me figure out my educational and professional goals.”