I chose Heidelberg because I liked the close community feel Heidelberg offered. Everyone was so friendly and welcoming on my visits. Also, after hearing about Heidelberg’s School of Education, I was so interested in all the opportunities that I would have both inside and outside of the classroom.
I majored in Middle Childhood Education with concentrations in Mathematics, English Language Arts, and dual licensure in Special Education. Growing up I always had positive experiences in the classroom and enjoyed helping others on their educational journey. It was an easy decision for me to major in education.
A major challenge I encountered while at Heidelberg was that I learned there is never enough time in a day to accomplish everything you want to do! There were so many areas around campus that I wanted to be more involved in, but I had to divide my time between various activities.
Above all, Heidelberg prepared me to feel confident about my future. I have learned so much about the field of education and am so excited to share my experiences as I start my career.
Outside of the classroom, I was involved in various activities. I held several on-campus positions as a Resident Assistant, Phonathon Student Caller, Student Ambassador and Math tutor. I was also involved in Kappa Delta Pi, the Rhos’ Buds, and helped found Heidelberg University Council of Teachers of Mathematics (HUCTM).
My favorite extracurricular activity was being a founding member of Heidelberg University Council of Teacher of Mathematics (HUCTM). With Dr. Lindsey Haubert and Dr. Dawn Henry’s mentorship, this organization transformed my approach to teaching mathematics and working with diverse students. I learned early in my collegiate experience that there are unique ways to present content to students to make learning fun. I also loved having the opportunity to be involved with local school students outside of my field experience.
One faculty or staff mentor or advisor who impacted my ‘Berg experience is every faculty member in the Education Department. Although retired now, Dr. Brian Haley helped me to understand the principles of teaching. His education courses helped me discover my teaching philosophy and pedagogy to best support students. Future courses in the Education Department helped me to implement my teaching philosophy and facilitate research in various classrooms in the community.
My favorite memory from Heidelberg is when I had the opportunity to travel with one of my best friends to the Dominican Republic on a spring break service learning trip. On the trip, we were able to teach English as a second language to students living in the Dominican Republic. It was my first time traveling out of the country and having that kind of experience.
My plans after graduation are to pursue a teaching position near my hometown Cincinnati, Ohio. I would also like to eventually go back to school for my master’s degree in a field related to education.