After doing her student teaching at TJ , Wauneta Vann finds herself helping Spartans expand their futures with support and tutoring.
If there is a need to know where to go for educational support, just head right down to the tutoring center in room four, where you’ll find one of the local experts –Wuaneta Vann – who will help conquer those academic problems.
Wauneta Vann was born and raised in Colorado and attended Aurora Central High School The young Vann grew up knowing all of her aspirations were limitless and foresaw becoming a writer, an actress, and even a nun. “After watching the movie Sister Act when I was younger, I got the idea of growing up and being a nun,” explained Vann. Also while growing up Vann took ballroom dancing and is skilled in the tango, salsa, waltz, and many well-known dances from a variety of cultures.
After high school Vann attended three colleges before graduating from Denver University, including Northeastern Junior College, Hawaii Pacific, and Oklahoma University. “I am a Sooner! A die-hard Sooner. Sooner Boomer baby!” cheered Vann. “I do have one major accomplishment in my four years of college and that is that I was the first African American Student Council President at Northeastern Junior College,” explained Vann.
In 2007, Vann became a student teacher for Gordon Heaton and Linda Estlund. “I was really nervous, but somehow built up the courage to ask Mr. Heaton if I could be his student teacher. He let me work with the kids and I got to see how passionate he is about history, and I learned a lot from that year,” said Vann. After getting the feel of Thomas Jefferson High School during her year as a student teacher, she began to fall in love with the all around atmosphere that TJ had to offer. “The students, teachers, and faculty all have their own way of reaching out, showing their potential and making it easy to fall in love with them,” explained Vann.
Even though Vann spends a great deal of her time working at TJ tutoring students and helping them exceed their educational goals, she also enjoys an exciting life outside of school. “I love to travel. I want to visit all 50 states before I die, and I have been to multiple countries including countries in Africa along the Ivory Coast,” said Vann, who also loves to take pictures and has a proclivity for snapping photos of sunsets. “I would keep a camera in my car and when I saw a sunset I would pull it out and snap a shot. However, I don’t do this anymore because over time I noticed that I was a hazard to other drivers on the road,” chuckled Vann.
Along with taking pictures, Vann loves anything to do with music. “I am not going to brag, but I rock at Rock Band. I am only on hard, but still I make it look like I am the best rocker ever.” In addition, Vann loves listening to music, from classical to country. “My favorite musician has to be Garth Brooks,” said Vann.
Vann is not only a tutor at Thomas Jefferson, but a mentor for students as well. “I believe making a positive impact is the number one goal. To make a change in a person’s life is the most fulfilling part of my job here. I am a teacher not a preacher,” said Vann.
To Vann, her role as a tutor here at TJ is quite clear. “As a tutor here at TJ, we must know how to use all of our resources. Many people come to me to ask how to do something or how something works, and sometimes I honestly don’t know. When I don’t know the answer I have to open up all of my resources and do research,” explained Vann, who added that the role of a tutor implies that you must be patient. “You can’t get heated up and lose your focus just because you are impatient,” said Vann. “You’ve got to be able to make learning fun and humorous, keep the environment positive and enjoyable for students.”
