Why did you choose this degree -- and to pursue this degree at UNI?

Choosing this career matched my heart with my talents. I have always worked with children, but I knew teaching was where my talents would shine. When I learned about my passion for early childhood education, it was the best fit for me when I switched my major from elementary to early childhood. UNI early childhood education sets you up for nothing but success. All my professors have encouraged me, and helped me grow into the strong individual I am today. Without any real teaching experience, I have so many tools that are in my tool box. A lot of that has to do with the preparation the College of Education does for their students. I am close with every professor that I had throughout my time at UNI because we all shared the same passion to care and teach children.

What path did you take to achieve your degree?

I started out on a biomedical pre-veterinary track. Even though I was up for the challenge, my heart didn't match with the career I was choosing. I have been in the classroom since I was able to help my mother prep, as she was a teacher herself. I have taught swimming lessons, and it wasn't until I started working at a child center that I realized I have always had a passion to be with children. As I started learning more about early childhood, I realized that I have a strong passion for a child’s first eight years. Early childhood met my passion for children, along with the talents that I have. When I made this decision to switch to early childhood, I started feeling like I found who I am. And not only who I am, but what my purpose in the world is supposed to be. I have never doubted my switch since I have made it. I was made for this career.

Describe any field experience and how it has prepared you for your career. 

Student teaching at Our Lady of Guadalupe, the Spanish immersion school in Dubuque, Iowa, has made me the best person I could possibly be. This prepared me for the role of teaching. It taught me to be a leader, and to trust myself. It taught me how to collaborate with all teachers to come up with ideas. It taught me that I can do hard things without even realizing it. The person that started student teaching was not the same person I am today. My mentor teachers have set me up to be more than a great teacher. I felt that that helped me become an exceptional teacher. They supported me in just the right ways, and always gave me wonderful feedback. My student teaching experience was unique compared to other UNI students because I did both my placements at the same time, and all in Spanish. It was difficult, but I excelled because of how great my environment and my mentor teachers were. This proved to me how strong I can be, and how I can do VERY difficult things! With this experience under my belt, I do not feel as scared about the future as I did before it. I feel more confident, and now I know that I will achieve success in this career!

What does completing your degree mean to you?

Personally, it means that I can do hard things. I proved that I can achieve many things regardless of the level of difficulty. I worked very hard for this degree, all so that I can become a successful person in my career. There were moments where I did not choose the easy classes, projects, or experience because I knew it would help me be the educator I wanted to be. This degree is about my hard work, but also the people who helped me get there. I am the first person within my family to have graduated college here in the United States, and that came with many challenges. Both my parents got their degrees in their native country, and there were many extra steps that we as a family had to take for me to go to UNI. Completing this degree would mean all the hard work my family put into me to achieve this opportunity of completing a college degree in the United States. Overall, this degree represents the hard work of many, including myself, that helped me get to this point.

What challenges did you face as you worked toward this degree – and how did you overcome them?

I was a busy bee during my time at UNI. For four years I was a collegiate-athlete on the UNI Swim and Dive team. Balancing school with practice wasn't a challenge until I started my experiences. I had to find extra time for both to fulfill the hours that I needed to train for my sport, but also the hours I needed to fulfill for my degree. I gave 100% of my energy for both, which led to many nights feeling exhausted. In those moments of high stress I really relied on little goals. Setting small goals helped me to be in the moment and not worry about what I need to do in the future. It also helped me feel that my day was successful because I achieved my goals that I wanted that day. When I wasn't swimming or studying, I was working at the center. Work was my escape, the place I could go to practice what I was studying and away from the lows that a sport can bring. It really was another tactic that I used to help me de-stress. However, my family was my rock throughout my five years at UNI. They were the first people that I would come to if I felt overwhelmed, and they would help me see the big picture of what my true goal was. Overall, doing a college sport with an experience-heavy major was not the easiest decision I made. However the outcome was well worth it!

How did UNI help you achieve your goals?

The best thing UNI does is to give you resources to succeed. Specifically the College of Education, they have everything you need to succeed. They don't hand it to you, but if you put in the work to make relationships with peers, professors, or UNI staff around you, people are willing to help you succeed. All the COE wants is for people to be successful teachers, and they are willing to help if you take the extra step to ask for it. 

It was a goal of mine to make relationships with my professors. Connecting with people that have many experiences in what you want to do will help you when you are finding difficulties. At first it was hard asking for help, but by the end I felt that it helped me to know my professors. With every professor I felt that they really cared about me, and I hope that they know how much I care about them. With that they really encouraged me to be myself, which was another goal I had.  

When I started finding my voice, UNI really has the environment set up for students to find themselves. I thought that I really found myself, and my voice in the world. Whether it was through taking many courses that were discussion based or just growing into my passions, I understand my values and what makes me, me. UNI has helped me a lot in this way, and I am so grateful for the experience I had!

We often say UNI is student focused; a place where professors care--and teach; a place where learning happens in and out of the classroom;  and is perfectly sized. How do these statements ring true for you? 

UNI is very student focused. I had many classes that were my favorite because it was led by the students. With projects, discussions, and presentations everything was led by the students. Teaching is something that you only learn through experience, I believe that the professors know this because they are all teachers. This understanding of learning leads professors to give us experiences that teach us the lessons. Some of it is easy; however, some of it is hard. Professors always challenge you and support you if you feel stuck on an assignment. 

If you are missing a resource that you need for the assignments, the professors guide you to an area where you can get that resource. I felt that my professors always cared about me. I knew this because they always tried to remember my name, always encouraged me to participate, and got to know me outside of being a student. These are key components to having a positive learning environment, which means that I could trust them to learn. 

What’s your best memory of your time at UNI?

When I look back, my favorite memories were with my professor Allison Barness. She really became my person when I had questions about my career. She could tell I was really passionate about teaching, and always continued to challenge me wherever I go. Any class I had with her I felt so empowered and inspired to become a teacher. She made going to UNI worth it, and I hope that others are just as inspired with her as I was. She is definitely my favorite memory from my time at UNI.

What advice would you give to students considering UNI?

If you are a student thinking about coming to UNI to be a teacher, UNI is the school for you. You are set up to succeed. Some parts will not be easy, but the College of Education cares about you as an individual, and will take care of you when you need help. Many schools around Iowa know that a UNI student is going to be a great teacher because UNI prepares their students so well, by the time they are student teaching it is amazing what they already know what to do. If I did my college time all over again I would choose UNI because of how much they prepared me to be a teacher!

What’s next? 

I hope to be a teacher somewhere in the Cedar Valley. My end goal is to be an elementary Spanish immersion teacher back at the school I student taught. However I know there are many other experiences and opportunities that teaching has to show me, so I want to experience different schools while I have the opportunity. I know that life will take me to the position that I am needed the most, and that is where I will dedicate my time to teach and care about children!