Primary Education Major
What made you choose Heidelberg, and when did it start to feel like home?
I chose Heidelberg because it is close to home while still having a reputable and quality education prep program. Heidelberg started to feel like home when I got involved with campus activities like Cru and Kappa Psi Omega. I met people that I grew so close to and loved to spend my time with.
What’s a class, club, or activity you joined on a whim and ended up loving?
Kappa Psi Omega was not part of my Heidelberg plan. I had not attended any of the recruitment events or early events at the beginning of the year, but midway through my freshman year I decided to give it a try and pledge Kappa. It ended up being one of the best decisions that I could have made. I met some of the best girls and got close with so many people that I would have never met without Kappa.
What relationship or friendship here has meant the most to you and why?
My friendship with my roommate from my last 2 years of college. We met freshman year being in the same classes and both living in Brown for a time. She and I ended up getting close through all of the activities we were both involved in. Since our time at Heidelberg, we have both taken part in Kappa Psi Omega, Cru, the education program, and working together at the Tiffin-Seneca Teen Center. She has become my other half, and most people only know us together and can hardly tell us apart.
What opportunity outside the classroom shaped you the most?
The opportunity to not only be part of Kappa Psi Omega Greek life but also grow in leadership within the society. I got to serve a short bit as the president, and that pushed me to be so much stronger in my communication, collaboration, and ability to lead others my own age. From making hard decisions for the well-being of the society as a whole to getting to watch and support my other sisters as they also grew through the society, I had such an amazing opportunity to grow and something to push me to be a better version of myself.
What is a lesson from college that you will carry with you forever?
The thing that I think college as a whole taught me was to not take life so seriously. Yes, grades were important, and my career will be as well, but there's so much joy to be found in the small funny moments, and I don't ever want to take those for granted. I have had so much fun over the last 3 years exploring campus with my best friend and always making fun memes with her no matter where we are, and I don't ever want to lose that sense of freedom and pure joy even when I have a full-time job and a family.
What experience at Heidelberg best prepared you for your next step?
Obviously, being an education major, I have completed my student teaching experience, and that gave me the most up-close and direct experience with what I will be doing in the future. However, on top of that, I got to choose a topic for my senior honors project that is directly related to teaching and building a strong classroom community. Through that and the guidance of my professors, I got to take a much deeper look at how classroom community affects students' social-emotional growth and their academic success. This allowed me the guidance to figure this out for myself, and now I am so ready for next fall to start so I can include a lot of the resources and methods that I learned about over the last semester.
What advice would you give to incoming freshmen about how to be successful at Heidelberg?
The biggest piece of advice I have, especially at a small school like Heidelberg, is to get close with your professors. Chances are that you will have them for several classes that you take, so try to get familiar with their teaching style (and grading style) and actually try to get to know them so that you will have a better time understanding them and working with them on things over your time at Berg.
What are your plans following graduation?
After graduation, I am moving back home, where I have a 3rd grade teaching job lined up.