AN ATHLETE on the men\u2019s basketball team at Western Kentucky University notices an advertisement on campus for the Young Male Leadership Academy (YMLA), a program for male students interested in a career in education. The student wavers, wondering if he should check it out. He\u2019s always been a leader, and he\u2019s thought about teaching before, but he knows there are few male educators at the elementary and middle school levels where he would want to teach. Would he feel alone in this field? He approaches Chris Stunson\u2019s office, the director of YMLA, and his concerns fade away; he smiles as he is met with encouragement from a man who has had a successful career in education and athletics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Stunson is a former high school math teacher, principal, assistant principal, and athletic director. As the director of professional educator services at Western Kentucky University, Stunson oversees \u201ceducator recruitment, admissions, field experience, and student teaching and certification.\u201d The YMLA program gives him a tangible way to inspire the next generation of male educators. He is a former athlete and athletic director, which, added to his extensive educational experience, positions him to reach male students seeking an education degree with confidence and knowledge. Stunson\u2019s advice to his students is to prioritize academics over athletic achievement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDuring my career as a student-athlete and an athletic administrator, the importance of academics first influenced my mentoring approach,\u201d Stunson explained. \u201cYour athletic ability can be taken away at any moment. However, the knowledge that you gain through an academic-centered environment can never be taken from you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The program Stunson leads challenges expectations about young men in education. \u201cIn many cases, males do not experience the role of males in education until their high school years,\u201d he said. \u201cThe YMLA seeks to expose students to educational careers early, particularly those from diverse backgrounds.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
YMLA focuses on leadership development. The program teaches skills such as public speaking, research and presentation design, collaboration, and professional soft skills such as handshakes and dinner etiquette.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Stunson also works through the YMLA to support students when they are struggling in any area of life. \u201cWe identify guest speakers or community influencers to speak with our young men to help them through the challenges they may be facing,\u201d he explained. The program brings in mental health counselors, public speakers, community business leaders, and educators to support these students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The YMLA now covers all educational fields and participates in state and national educators\u2019 conferences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Stunson believes in the power of education, community, and mentorship. He hopes this program will encourage some of his students to pursue education as a career. Even if they choose a different path, the skills they get from YMLA are valuable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOur goal is to help them be successful in whatever area they choose, with education as a first choice major,\u201d Stunson said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Through Stunson\u2019s leadership, the YMLA has become more than just an education recruitment program. It is a community that challenges stereotypes, builds confidence, and creates opportunities for young men to explore a career in education. GN<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" AN ATHLETE on the men\u2019s basketball team at Western Kentucky University notices an advertisement on campus for the Young Male Leadership Academy (YMLA), a program for male students interested in a career in education. The student wavers, wondering if he should check it out. He\u2019s always been a leader, and he\u2019s thought about teaching before, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":38,"featured_media":26371,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-26368","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-stories"],"yoast_head":"\n