Teacher Appreciation Week | Spalding-bound valedictorian to major in education because teachers ‘shape the future’

Jeriah Cook appreciates teachers so much that they’ve inspired her to become one. She’s headed to Spalding University’s College of Education to prepare for a career she thinks can make the world a better place.

The 2020 valedictorian of Cincinnati’s Depaul Cristo Rey High School will enroll at Spalding this fall to begin seeking a Bachelor of Science in Education with an emphasis on elementary grades.

This week, May 4-9, marks 2020 Teacher Appreciation Week in the United States. It’s a fitting coincidence that it’s also the week that Cook, a future teacher, graduates and wraps up her better-than-perfect high school academic career.  She’s been reflecting on the teachers who have shaped her along the way.

“I just want to make sure I say thank you a lot to my teachers because teachers are some of the most important people,” said Cook, completed high school with a 4.2 GPA when weighted with her honors and advanced courses. “Doctors and people like that are important, and teachers are right up there with them. We can be at school eight hours a day, and sometimes we’re with our teachers as much or more than we are with our own families. They become part of our family, and they guide us to be the people we grow to be.”

Cook said she is particularly thankful for a group of teachers at her high school whom she has known since elementary school.

“They were always just so supportive,” she said  “It’s almost like we are their kids. They’ll point you in the direction that is best for you in your life and put you on the right path. They push us to go the extra mile to secure our own future and do what we need to do to make sure we’re happy and successful.”

Due to COVID-19, Cook’s high school commencement ceremony has been postponed until July. That also means her valedictorian speech is postponed, but she’ll use the extra time to prepare her remarks.

“I want to talk about how my family, my friends, God and my spirituality have helped me,” she said. “And my teachers, and my school.”

A couple weeks ago, Cook and her mother were summoned to join a private video call with the top administrators at DePaul Cristo Rey.

“I didn’t know what they were calling about; I thought I was in trouble,” Cook said with a laugh.

The principals then told her she’d been named valedictorian.

“I was screaming, and my mom was screaming,” Cook said. “I didn’t know what to say. It was like a dream. My mom was so happy and started crying. It made me happy because she was happy. I always worked hard in school for my family because I like to see the smiles on their faces.”

This week is also the week of Mother’s Day, and Cook’s mom has been another important teacher in her life. Her mother teaches fourth, fifth and sixth grade in an Individualized Education Program (IEP).

Throughout her life, Jeriah Cook has accompanied her mom to school and sometimes visited her in the classroom. Seeing her mom work one-on-one with students gave Jeriah a first-hand perspective on the hard work and dedication of teachers.

“Teachers really don’t get the credit they’re due,” Cook said. “They shape the future because people always say kids are the future. … They help kids develop their morals and their values. You learn things in the classroom, in the lunchroom, on the playground. Teachers are there to stop bullying or to teach kids to be quiet when someone is speaking. Sometimes they are little things, but they are things that stick with you.”

Spalding will be the place where Cook will learn to teach.

She became interested in Spalding when her school took a tour of Louisville colleges last fall. She was most intrigued by Spalding’s block scheduling. Whereas most colleges operate on semester-long terms with students taking 4-5 classes once, Spalding students take only 1-2 classes at a time during six six-week sessions, with a week off after each session.

“I was like, ‘That is really cool. They actually give you the time you need to do the work,'” Cook said.

Cook said she believes Spalding is a good option for students from Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky – only about two hours away from Louisville.

“When I go there,” she said, “I can have space for myself, but I can still come home.”