Becoming a future educator: Meet Mary McDonald

By Giselle Martin Gomez

Mary McDonald sharing a smile while sporting her Mount Mary shirt.

Education and its importance in a Jamaican-American household

Through the struggles Mary McDonald’s parents went through to obtain a college education, McDonald’s family developed a strong value for education, which McDonald inherited.

“My family is all from Jamaica,” McDonald said. “ They had to go through a lot of struggles to get here and then to maintain a place here (in the United States of America).”

McDonald’s influences

McDonald’s grandmother got her doctorate in English and growing up with her influenced McDonald’s desire to follow in her footsteps and become a teacher.

"Basically, I just wanted to work to make her proud,” McDonald said.The generations of educators in her family also played a role in the career she I choosing to pursue.

"Most of the people in my family are teachers, even my mom and my grandmother on my dad’s side were Sunday school teachers, and my dad, my grandmother, and my grandfather were all teachers either in high school or university,” McDonald said.

Becoming a Promise scholar

McDonald’s roommate freshman year, Jenna Hunter, told McDonald about the Promise Program but, at first, McDonald was unsure if she would qualify.

"I was kind of skeptical in joining because I didn’t even know if I met the qualifications,” McDonald said. “But then one of my other friends, Clara, she was like ‘just try anyways,’ because there are so many benefits to Promise, with like the counseling, the coaching, and stuff, so I was like ‘I guess I’ll just sign up and see if I get in,’ and then I did.”

McDonald shared that getting into Promise Program has benefitted her with skill development but also by providing a space where she can spend time in between classes studying or playing Jenga and Uno with her friends.

Promise Program aiding with skill development

McDonald shared that the Promise program has helped her with her management of both time and homework.

"I am a really bad procrastinator, so my Promise coach made these worksheets for me that are my goals for the week, so I know what I want to do and get accomplished this week, what time, how long it should take me,” McDonald said.

Mary writes her weekly goals, a skill she's refined in the Promise Program.

McDonald and her coach routinely check how she is keeping up with her goals every two weeks.

“We check in and make sure I’m on pace and she reminds me of things that are far off, like months later, that I should be doing. She keeps me on my toes,” McDonald said.

Mary in Huelmely’s eyes

Huelmely De Jesus, McDonald’s Promise Program coach, recognized McDonald's improvement with time management in how she’s developed a routine, better habits and has become better at juggling her academics.

“She gives a lot to everybody, so that’s one thing we’ve talked about with how to practice self-care, which she already does, but I think there’s always room for improvement.” De Jesus has noticed that McDonald goes out of her way to make sure students feel welcome, whether it’s in the Promise Program lounge or in her other activities.

"She resonates very much to the term a ‘hype person.’ She finds ways to really make something encouraging , make something exciting, and when she notices that people maybe aren’t feeling as comfortable or aren’t feeling as excited about something, she does that warm encouragement and it doesn’t feel inappropriate, it feels very supportive,” De Jesus said.

Promise helping Mary overcome challenges

For McDonald, the biggest obstacle she has faced in college are online classes that have no face-to-face component to keep her in check, it’s easy for her to forget about it with all of the other things she balances.

"I already have a big course load right now and a lot of homework. Not to mention I also work and then babysit on the weekends too, so sometimes I even forget that this online class exists,” McDonald said. McDonald’s Promise coach will remind her about those online classes and staying on track with them.

Mary is proud to be a Mount Mary student and recognizes the support she's been provided through the Promise Program.

"But then my (Promise) coach will say, ‘don’t forget this assignment’ or ‘don’t forget this class’ and thank God for her,” McDonald said.

McDonald’s advice for incoming students

In recognizing the support the Promise Program provides, McDonald encourages incoming students to apply for the Promise Program. “Even if you want freedom from your parents or want to go out on your own, it’s still good to have someone who’s checking up on you and making sure you’re okay and that you have all of the help you need,” McDonald said.

McDonald says to not let your uncertainties about what qualifies as first-generation or low-income deter you from applying to the Promise Program.

“I think everyone should still shoot their shot, apply because it’s so beneficial. It’s just like a good environment to be over there, and Promise helps you with so many things besides counseling and tutoring, it’s worth trying,” McDonald said.