Faith Howard has always been one to give back. The sophomore pitcher on the Northern Kentucky softball team has already twice made a trip to the Dominican Republic with NKU’s Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and as the oldest of six, she is well-acclimated to stepping up and being a mentor to her siblings.
She already has her sights set on using her own opportunities and passion for education to give back to the field as she hopes to pursue a Ph.D. and one day become a professor.
The value of education has always been a part of Howard’s upbringing. Both of her parents are teachers, as well as many family members on her father’s side of the family. Her father, a history teacher would make it a habit of using travel ball trips to visit historical monuments and discuss their significance, which sparked a deep appreciation for history that Howard carries with her today as she continues to read historical books as a hobby.
This concept holds true today, as Howard is using the shelter-at-home period to take advantage of her mother’s experience as a music teacher and is learning to play the piano.
Even her involvement collegiate athletics has helped shape Howard’s commitment to lifelong learning. “A lot of times, when you’re playing with people from around the country, it helps provide a different look on how they view the world and how they play the game. And it’s so cool that we can all come to one place to play together,” she noted.
Howard remembers in particular that one teammate, Taylor Ginther, helped inspire a research paper on the public opinion of climate change based on an individual’s location, occupation and education level.
As a student, Howard is currently pursuing a degree in political science, and also credits the professors at NKU with inspiring her to consider a career in education. Of particular note, she says that her first political science class was one that stood out and got her excited about learning, praising Dr. Jonathan McKenzie for his ability to broaden her horizons by introducing new books and methods of analysis.
She can see herself implementing many of those methods as she begins to imagine what her own personal teaching style would be, as well as the use of a back-and-forth conversational style of lecture that she has enjoyed from other professors.
Howard has tremendously valued the experiences that she has gained from being able to play a collegiate sport, and always finds a way to relate those experiences to her personal education.
“This degree is going to take me [farther for] the rest of my life. Academics have always been a big thing because I know my career in softball is only going to take me so far. I think learning should be a lifelong thing because the more you learn, the more you can evolve as a person with the different viewpoints you can take in.
“To me, no matter what stage of your life you’re in, education should always be a priority.”
From NKU Athletics Communications