Q: What made you choose the College of Education & Human Development to earn your graduate degree?
A: “After I graduated from the College of Wooster, I did a graduate school search related to creativity, innovation and inspiring youth. It wasn’t until five years later – while I was trying to figure out what I wanted to do after my first year of teaching in South Korea – that I discovered the Master of Arts in Creative and Innovative Education (MACIE) program. It spoke directly to what I wanted in a program. I also had conversations with faculty to figure out how I could get my ESOL certification, which is the perfect complement to what I’m learning as a MACIE student.”
Q: What has been your favorite moment during your graduate program (in class, in an internship/experience in your field, etc.)?
A: “I’ve been able to think about how I can apply the conversations around creativity and innovation from the MACIE program to what I am learning in the ESOL program, especially now that I’m student teaching. I love that the ESOL classes have exposed me to theories such as culturally-responsive teaching practices. I have a binder of articles that I’m saving to refer back to when I may need to advocate for my students. I feel like I’ve been equipped with several tools that can be used to justify and inform my future work.”
Q: What is one interesting fact/detail you’ve learned in your graduate programs?
A: “All educators, regardless of the content area, are language educators and should think about how they are accommodating the language goals of all of their students, regardless of whether they are identified as English language learners (ELL). All students are learning English, especially students of color. This sort of enlightenment around language and English education has significantly influenced how I think about teaching and learning.”
Q: How do you plan to move lives forward after you complete your degree?
A: “One of the reasons why I’m on this journey to becoming an educator is because it allows me to embrace all of my interests while also empowering and nurturing future generations. When I graduate, I plan to start teaching and navigating those things. My initial goals will be to learn and practice being the best and effective teacher that I can be, and I’ll see where that leads me.”
Q: What’s one fun fact about yourself you’d like to share?
A: “I am a mixed media collage artist who enjoys learning languages (I’m currently learning Spanish and Korean), traveling, gardening, cooking and being a lifelong learner.”
This story is one in a series on College of Education & Human Development graduate students.