She’s a mom of five, MCSD teacher, cancer survivor — and now a master’s program graduate
She couldn’t wait to celebrate, not after all she had overcome.
Columbus State University’s spring graduation ceremonies were postponed for three months due to coronavirus restrictions, but COVID-19 didn’t stop Chavala Burse from marking her momentous moment.
Last Thursday in the garage of her Harris County home, Burse had a graduation party with her five children and two neighbors. And, at least while posing for photos, she wore the white mortarboard she bought at Party City and the black gown she borrowed from a coworker.
Wearing mismatched graduation garb and not waiting to celebrate are metaphors for this 32-year-old single mother’s journey toward her online master’s degree in teacher leadership — achieved while going through treatment for breast cancer and teaching math at Kendrick High School.
“Never wait for difficulties to go away, but rather embrace your desires in the midst of your difficulties, because you always will have something that comes up as a difficulty,” she told the Ledger-Enquirer. “… That’s what builds you stronger emotionally.”
‘Please get well’
Burse was diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer in November 2017. The cancer had spread to her lymph nodes. After surgery, she went through treatments at the John B. Amos Cancer Center until the end of 2018.
Chemotherapy for six months. Radiation for three months. Blood clots complicated her condition.
Burse tried for two months to continue teaching at Kendrick, but the side effects of the treatments proved too powerful.
“I had a breakdown in class,” she said. “… I was at the board, and my mind just went blank.”
A student asked if she was going to finish the problem. Another asked if she was OK.
“All the voices just got faint,” she said, “and I just started crying in front of everybody.”
A student alerted an assistant principal, who encouraged Burse to take the time she needed to get well. She left Kendrick to recover at home from February 2018 through the rest of the year.
An email from a student summed up the reason why Burse was determined to return to Kendrick: “I’m not going to make it without you. You have to come back. Please get well.”
In August 2018, Burse started the master’s program to keep her motivated and give her something she could control while too much was out of her control.
“Being able to do something that I love, which is schooling, I wanted something to build my education background and career experience,” she said. “I was getting a lot of encouragement from teachers, my classmates and just having all that support from the school, it really helped me. … My master’s degree at CSU is what helped keep me sane while going through one of the most difficult times in my life. ... This celebration is not just for me but also for my teachers.”
When she was healthy enough to return to Kendrick in January 2019, students made it clear they missed her.
“I had kids running from other classrooms to embrace me throughout the day,” she said as she laughed at the memory. “… I’m not an easy teacher. I’m one of those that push you because I know you can do it. So they came in hating me, but now they call me Mama.”
Family
Burse grew up in Blackshear, Georgia, where she graduated from Pierce County High School. She earned an associate’s degree from Waycross College and a bachelor’s degree online from Grand Canyon University.
She has been teaching for six years, starting at her alma mater for one year and the past five years at Kendrick. She will teach at Manchester High School next school year to cut in half the commute from her Harris County home.
With no relatives in the Columbus area, she relied on neighbors, Kendrick staff and friends from Christ Community Church while she battled the cancer. They gave her money and food and gifts and rides to treatment.
“It felt like family,” she said.
Burse also praised all five of her children, ages 8-14, for doing their part to help her recover and overcome the disease.
“Without them,” she said, “I wouldn’t be here.”
Especially the oldest, 14-year-old Chaquiria Wesley, who stepped up when the cancer treatments took down her mother.
“She became Mama,” Burse said.
Hero
Chaquiria set alarms on her phone to remind her mother when she needed to take her medication. Burse recalled often waking up with Chaquiria’s hand on her chest and telling her, “I’m making sure you’re still breathing.”
In addition to taking care of her ailing mother, Chaquiria mourned the death of her father that year — but still got her siblings ready for school and persevered to become the salutatorian of her class at Fort Middle School.
“I think she had it worse than me,” Burse said. “While she’s fighting for me to stay alive, she loses her dad. But she was still able to focus on school and get all A’s.”
Chaquiria was determined to be strong for her mother.
“It got to the point where all she could do was lay in bed,” said Chaquiria, who attended Northside High School this year and is transferring to Harris County. “She was sad and depressed. It was horrible — it was horrible — and she felt like she wasn’t good enough. … I told her that I love her and it’s OK.”
That’s why Burse calls Chaquiria “my hero.” It’s a title the daughter also bestows on her mother.
“I want to be able to face anything in any situation like she did,” Chaquiria said. “She’s a role model. She’s awesome.”
Kendrick principal Alonzo James and CSU assistant professor Anna Hart agree.
“She’s a great person,” James said. “She’s very helpful to students and parents. Anything you ask her to do, she will do it. She’s very kid-centered. She’s going to try to do what’s best for children.”
Hart, the program coordinator for CSU’s teacher leadership master’s degree program, marveled at Burse’s ability to never miss an assignment or a meeting despite the burden she carried.
“She is a person who always does what’s expected of her and what needs to be does done, regardless of how difficult it is for her to get those things done,” Hart said. “She’s amazing.”
On a typical day, Burse was up by 5 a.m., taught all day or went to cancer treatment, came home to cook and help her children with their homework. Then, around 8 p.m., she did her classwork. She usually didn’t go to bed until past 2 a.m.
But she didn’t cut any corners.
“I read every article, every book,” she said. “I didn’t want just the degree. I want to enhance my students’ learning as much as I can, and I also want to enhance my learning too.”
Although teachers gave her extra time to turn in assignments, Burse said, she didn’t accept the offer.
“My motto is, ‘No excuses,’” she said.
No wonder she made an A in every class.
Burse noted she failed math until ninth grade. Then a teacher didn’t give up on her and took time to explain concepts the way she needed to understand them.
Now, understanding what it means to struggle in and out of the classroom makes her a better teacher, Burse said.
“I want to help those students who feel like math isn’t for them,” she said. “I want to hopefully be that voice to grab students and help them to believe in the value of themselves.”
This story was originally published May 28, 2020 at 7:00 AM.
