Why did you choose UNI?

I chose UNI because it seemed like the perfect size, with the opportunities available at a big university but the feel of a smaller campus and smaller class sizes. UNI also has a great education department that really prepared me well for student teaching and my future career!

What have you enjoyed the most about attending UNI?

I have really enjoyed the professors I’ve had at UNI, especially the professors in the education and history departments. I’ve also met a lot of great friends both in and out of classes. I had the opportunity to join a dance company and to study abroad as well, which were both things I knew I wanted to do before I started college.

How did you become interested in your major? 

I always knew I wanted to go into education, but I wasn’t sure exactly what I wanted to do. I took a lot of social studies classes in high school and had some great teachers that inspired me to major in Social Science Teaching. I knew UNI had a great education program, so that helped finalize my decision. 

What have been some of your favorite aspects of the major?

The field experiences that education majors complete helped me tremendously. Throughout my time at UNI, I was able to go into several different schools, including middle schools and high schools of different sizes, to gain teaching experience. Because of this, I felt much more prepared going into student teaching. I also have enjoyed getting to choose different social science courses to take here at UNI, because there are so many different options.

How have you been involved outside of the classroom?

I have been involved in the UNI Honors Program since my freshman year, and I had many opportunities to extend my studies within this program. As a Presidential Scholar, I was a member of a Think Tank that conducted research and provided resources about online learning during COVID. I also completed my Honors Thesis by conducting research on UNI students’ perceptions of gifted programming experiences in their K-12 education and analyzed the results. 

I joined the UNI Orchesis Dance Company in my first semester and continued until I started student teaching. I met so many great friends through the company, got to continue pursuing my love of dance, and gained leadership opportunities. For my last few semesters in the company, I was the fundraising chair and got to plan and organize our fundraisers with my committee.

One of my favorite opportunities that I had through UNI was my study abroad experience. I was originally supposed to study abroad in Italy in 2020, but couldn’t go because of the pandemic. I was lucky enough to get to travel to Greece instead during the summer of 2022, which was an amazing trip. As someone who loves history, I was able to see so much of it firsthand, and got to learn so much about Greek culture as well. It was such a great experience that I highly recommend to everyone!

What professors have been most influential through your time here at UNI?

I have had so many great professors throughout my time at UNI! Jessica Moon was great to work with and so helpful with everything regarding the Honors Program, and Suzanne Freedman was a huge help to my Honors Thesis as well. I am grateful to Chad Christopher, my advisor, for all of the work he does with the Social Science Teaching majors. Some of my other favorite professors were Robert Dise, who I was lucky enough to take several classes with, Greg Bruess and Isabella Varela, who led my study abroad trip, and Gregory Bourassa, one of my education professors. I am also grateful to Mandy Masmar, who led my dance company and taught me so much throughout my college experience.

What are your post graduation plans?

After graduation, I will be heading to graduate school to get my Master’s in Secondary Education, although I am still deciding between schools. After that, I will start looking at social studies teaching jobs, possibly in the Omaha area, where I’m finishing up my student teaching.

How has UNI/your major helped prepare you for these plans?

UNI’s education program prepared me very well for student teaching and my first teaching job in the near future. Because of my field experiences, I already had some experience in the classroom before my student teaching semester, which made me feel more confident starting out. I have used teaching strategies in the classroom that we’ve talked about in my education classes, and I also felt prepared in my content area because of all of my history courses and other social studies courses. 

What advice would you give to students who are considering this major?

Definitely take advantage of all the opportunities here at UNI, especially in the education and history departments. Not only are the education field experiences very valuable, but there are lots of other ways to get involved on campus as well.