The skills that Dustin Preston ’16 learned in the classroom at Southwest Baptist University
equipped him for his career in the public schools system, while the financial aid
he received made his education possible.
Dustin, who earned his bachelor’s degree in Christian ministry, with a concentration in youth ministry, currently serves as a behavioral interventionist and special education teacher at Bolivar (Mo.) Primary School.
“The discipleship and equipping strategies I learned from the professors of the Redford college (Division of Theology and Ministry) are used just as much in education and everyday life as they are in the church,” Dustin said. “I was a youth and worship pastor, and I’ve worked in behavioral and mental health in a few different settings, mainly with children. My first job in education was as a paraprofessional at Pleasant Hope (Mo.) School District. Last year, I accepted my first teaching position at Bolivar Primary School.
“And, there are so many scholarships at SBU,” Dustin said of the value of his education. “The admissions and financial aid teams will do whatever it takes to find the best value possible – always.”
The support Dustin received from the faculty and his friends at SBU also has led to lifelong relationships.
“The connections I made at SBU were more than professional, but personal,” Dustin said. “I would still consider many people I went to school with friends whom I trust and miss, dearly.
“My former professor Duke Jones is my reference for everything. He is my friend and brother. In many times of grief, he has been there to point me in the right direction. I did not expect to be as close of friends to my professors, but they care about their students. They pray for us constantly and want to see us flourish.”
Getting involved on campus also was important for Dustin. He was involved in SBU’s Center for Global Connections, Welcome Week, as the Community Connections Director, as well as serving as a Welcome Week leader.
“I learned different types of leadership styles: service, wisdom, humility and unbiased,” Dustin said. “These qualities are how I strive to lead.”
But, maybe the most important area in which Dustin had an opportunity to grow while at SBU was in his Christian faith.
“I learned endurance through working knowledge,” Dustin said. “Not just getting an indoctrination of ‘this is the way it is...’, but getting an education that proclaims, ‘Read and know that The Lord is God because it is true.’”