Volunteer of the Month: Tomm Evans '91

Teaching was not Tomm Evans ’91 original goal, instead it was his English professors who pointed out that Evans was suited for the profession. Evan after changing his major several times before settling on English/Secondary Ed., Evans says his time at Bloomsburg was the key to taking his many interests and opening the doors to his professional life.

“I learned about people with far different backgrounds and a range of topics in classes and out that instilled in me a desire to want to learn more about, well, everything,” said Evans, who stressed the impact of the professors who gave him honest and practical advice and instruction. “Thankfully, my advisor finally told me I had to graduate. The experience stayed with me through my career [and] I wouldn't trade them for a more condensed 4 years anywhere else.

Evans wasn’t about to let his career go by without using his own knowledge and experience to help current students in the same way his professors did. At first, though, Evans was reluctant to get involved because he didn’t have the disposable income he felt was necessary to donate to scholarship funds or Professional Experience Grants (PEGs). But once he realized that financial support wasn’t the only way to contribute, he returned to campus and served as a mentor for The William ’83 and Elizabeth Bent Leadership Boot Camp, as well as an alumni panelist during the Collaborating to Assist Teacher Candidate Hiring (CATCH) Conference. He says that programs such as those provide the kind of practical understanding of the realities of teaching that allow students to be comfortable very early in their career.

“Bloomsburg prepared me to be a teacher immediately after graduation. My student teacher experience was a breeze because they had prepared me so well and I saw that throughout my career. I feel [it] put me ahead of my peers when first hired.”

Now retired from the North Pocono School District and an adjunct faculty member for the University of Scranton, Evans says that often the student teachers he supervises come to him with a knowledge about education theory, but not necessarily what it takes to be an effective teacher. He has noticed that state schools like Bloomsburg and others from the PASSHE system are more 'real world ready' for that experience. Through his volunteerism, not only has Evans been impressed with his fellow Huskies, but has also developed a greater desire to give back knowing that he plays a vital role in their success.

“Today's students are so much more mature than I was when I was in their place,” said Evans. “They are grounded and focused; savvy and articulate and generally have a better sense of where they want to go. I feel it's important to find a way to give back to a place that gave us so much. I developed a desire to do more and more with each visit.”

“The professors I had at Bloomsburg made me feel competent and even excellent in my field(s),” added Evans. “There was a constant air of ‘you can do better’ and when I did, they told me that too. That, along with campus life and a culture of learning about more than just what was required created a life-long learner.”