I graduated in December of 2013. My major was Early Childhood Education (PreK-4) with a minor in Exceptionalities.
What jobs have you landed?
Immediately upon graduation, I was hired as a long term substitute in my home school district of Somerset County, Pennsylvania.
Directly after those few months as a long term, I was hired as a second grade teacher at Maple Ridge Elementary School (Somerset Area School District). I just began my second year of second grade!
How did you prepare for the interview for the job you landed?
I prepared by studying the school district up and down. I read their handbook and checked their website every day for a few weeks leading up to my interview. I then created a PreK Math lesson and, for second round interviews, had to give my lesson plan to the administration team. I also created a binder titled "Collection of Professional Work" to take with me. It was pretty much a portfolio but I was very selective with the content and used mainly things I created/taught during my long term position.
What have you done well at that job?
I have helped recreate the Math and English Language Arts curriculum during my first year. I was also asked to pilot the "Words Their Way" curriculum in my classroom and serve as a mentor to the other teachers this year with that program. Although these are great accomplishments, I am most proud of how I have connected with the students and parents (and, of course, how cute my classroom looks)!
What types of recognition, awards, honors or even activities have you been involved in?
I was a member of 4H all through elementary, middle, and high school where I was the county fair queen, showed horses and pigs, and participated in many other events. In high school I was a captain of the varsity cheer squad, played volleyball, and ran track. In college, I served as the Parliamentarian of Blue Key Honor Society, was a member of Rock Catholic, and Council for Exceptional Children.
What SRU experience or faculty influenced you and in what way?
Dr. Katsafanas filled me with so much knowledge and inspiration my freshmen year. She instilled a passion for Special Education and then solidified that when I traveled to Costa Rica with her and the Special Education Department. Dr. DuPont helped me through perhaps the toughest time of my life and gave me words of encouragement and inspiration by sharing her own personal (and very similar) success story.
What else can you tell us about your success story that SRU students could learn from?
I am a walking spokesperson for The Rock. I am so proud of where I came from and who helped mold me into who I am today, both personally and professionally. My friends and professors from SRU helped me graduate a semester early while raising a beautiful little girl by myself. I couldn't have graduated and landed a job without my connections with Slippery Rock. Also, don't let anyone tell you the education field is dead! Jobs in Western PA are few and far between - but use what you learned at SRU and I promise you will be ahead of those from other institutions. GO ROCK!
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