Emily Wujcik

1. What is your educational background and what positions have you held?

I went to the wonderful Slippery Rock University and earned a B.S. in Education with a dual major in Early Childhood and Special Education with a minor in Aquatics. I went on to Indiana University to earn a M.S. with a major in Sports Management. I have been working at Saint Louis University since the Fall of 2017. I currently teach many different certification classes throughout the year such as CPR/AED/First Aid and Lifeguarding. Additionally, I teach a first-year Freshman introduction class each Fall semester. 

 

2. Name one SRU experience, in general or specific to the field, that you will never forget and explain why. 

During my junior year when I was out at a middle school, I was teaching a math lesson and it was one of my first few days that I was there. One student seemed to be very skeptical of me. Often when they were doing independent work, he would sing a few different country songs quietly to himself. When I went over to see how he was doing and see if I could help, he dismissed me right away. Then once I finished the lyrics to one of the songs he was singing, he immediately looked up and smiled at me. He shared that he didn't think I would know the song, but that since I did know it I was "cool". From then on, he showed me the same respect I gave him and he turned out to be one of the most involved students during our class! 

 

3. Name an SRU faculty that had a positive influence on you and explain why. 

Mr. Ogoreuc will always be one of my favorite faculty members. We met at the majors and minors fair, and he helped me understand more about the Aquatics minor that I ended up adding. It was one of the best decisions that I made while at SRU. Mr. Ogoreuc, or Coach, as I usually call him, was instrumental in getting me into the world of Aquatics. He introduced me to many people within the field and through his guidance I was able to become a GA for the NDPA (National Drowning Prevention Alliance) while earning my Master's degree. Coach showed me how important it is to have qualified and excited people in this field to teach people how to be safer in and around the water. 

 

4. What initially piqued your interest in pursuing a degree in education? 

Ever since I was young, I always knew I wanted to help people learn; and like many, I played "teacher" with my friends and family where I would have to teach them something. Moving through high school though, I found that I really liked working with students and knew I wanted to pursue a degree in education, and I knew that Slippery Rock University has fantastic educational programs. 

 

5. What is the most rewarding aspect of your job? 

Working with college students, I am able to watch and help students grow, learn, and become who they were meant to be. I get to support them in their academics, in their on-campus work, and I have seen many students grow to be a fantastic Physical Therapist, a Pilot, an Occupational Therapist, and more. I feel honored to work with these students and be a part of their learning process. 

 

6. What makes a great teacher? 

Many things make a great teacher, but for me, the top among them I believe is compassion. We all need to have compassion for each other and ourselves. I believe that showing empathy and understanding for one another leads to a stronger relationship with your students and grows trust with each other as well. It is also important to know that there will be days where you may need to change course and to give yourself the grace to do something totally different than what you had in your original lesson plan. This year has been tough on many students, so I scrapped what I had planned one day and we took time to do some self-care activities instead of class - that's just what we all needed (myself included!).

Adam Katchmarchi

1. What is your educational background and what positions have you held?

I completed my undergraduate degree in Health & Physical Education (B.S.Ed.) with a minor in Aquatics from Slippery Rock University (2012). My graduate work includes a Master of Science in Sport Management (M.S.) from Indiana University of Pennsylvania (2013) and a Doctor of Philosophy in Coaching & Teaching Studies (Ph.D.) with a cognate specialization in Sport Management from West Virginia University (2017). I am currently an assistant professor in the Department of Kinesiology, Health, and Sport Sciences at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. I teach in our Sport Administration undergraduate, Sport Management graduate program, and support our Health and Physical Education and Exercise Science programs. I'm also the executive director of the National Drowning Prevention Alliance, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization focused on water safety and drowning prevention in the United States. I also serve as a steering committee member of the US National Water Safety Action Plan and as the research committee chair for the Aquatic Coalition.

 

2. Name one SRU experience, in general or specific to the field, that you will never forget and explain why.

One of the most valuable experiences I had at SRU isn't a rosy story. I'll never forget my first field experience in my Introduction to Teaching class with Dr. Betsy McKinley (now retired). I woke up late and missed the bus to the field experience. I knew the consequences. I still remember to this day that I lost 15% of my final grade. Dr. McKinley laid out her policies from day one of class. I emailed her immediately and owned up to my mistake. The next class she brought it up to everyone and commended me for owning up to my mistake. From that day forward, Dr. McKinley became one of my biggest supporters. She taught me very early on at SRU that being a teacher was a big responsibility and you had to take it seriously. At the end of my junior year, Dr. McKinley was chair of the department and presented me with a student service scholarship award. It was special to have her present that to me knowing that she played a massive role in shaping me as a young professional. 

 

3. Name an SRU faculty that had a positive influence on you and explain why.

There are several retired and current facility at SRU, particularly in the Physical & Health Education Department who positively impacted my life. None more than Mr. Robert Ogoreuc who still teaches at SRU. As a freshman at SRU, I expressed to Mr. Ogoreuc my desire to pursue a career in aquatics and teaching. He took me under his wing, mentored me, and gave me opportunities to gain valuable experiences while I was an undergraduate student at SRU. Mr. Ogoreuc constantly presents his students opportunities to grow as professionals, inside and outside of the classroom. I took advantage of every opportunity he presented me with, and it shaped my career more than anything else. If it wasn't for Mr. O, I wouldn't be where I am today. He remains a close mentor and friend to this day.

 

4. What initially piqued your interest in pursuing a degree in education?

I was originally going to pursue a career in journalism. I decided to become a lifeguard in high school and fell in love with the job. I then got certified as a CPR, First Aid, Lifeguarding, and Swimming Instructor through the American Red Cross while I was in high school. I decided I really wanted to make a career out of this. I then found out about the aquatic focus and Mr. Orgoeuc during my senior year in high school. SRU was the only school I applied to after I found the program and toured the campus. The quality of the SRU program in both aquatics and teacher education have served me extremely well throughout my career. 

 

5. What is the most rewarding aspect of your job? I really have my dream situation.

Through my role as the executive director of the National Drowning Prevention Alliance, my scholarship, and industry service, I stay highly engaged and positively impact my field. At the same time, through my role as a professor, I can take that real world experience and bring it into the classroom for my students. By far, the most rewarding part of the job is the students I work with. Seeing a student take real interest in their studies and having the opportunity to educate and mentor them is special. 

 

6. What makes a great teacher?

Empathy, relevancy, and impact. In today's world, having empathy can go a long way. The pandemic highlighted the challenges we all face, and those challenges often affect students in the classroom. While we can't always impact the circumstances that are affecting our students, we can impact our attitude and the way we treat students. In my opinion, it is also important for a teacher to stay relevant with the content they are teaching. Our world is constantly evolving, and to best connect with our students, we must be constantly evolving ourselves as educators. Lastly, I think it comes down to the impact we make in the classroom. You may not impact every student who sits in your class, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't try every day to positively impact the students that we have the privilege and opportunity to educate.

Maddie Morella

1. What is your educational background and what positions have you held?

I got my Bachelor's Degree from SRU. I’m a 1st year, 10th grade Health and PE Teacher and Freshman Volleyball Head Coach at Annandale High School (Fairfax County, VA).

 

2. Name one SRU experience, in general or specific to the field, that you will never forget and explain why.

In Dr. Brewer's class we learned a ton of fun, new skills to teach students by actually practicing them ourselves.  We learned how to longboard, do yoga, social dance, and spin. Dr. Brewer made the lessons fun to learn, and I had a great time doing them in class!

 

3. Name an SRU faculty that had a positive influence on you and explain why.

Randy Nichols has been the greatest influence on me becoming the teacher I am today. Having him as my professor made me realize how important my WHY for teaching is. Randy goes above and beyond for each and every one of his students. I was lucky enough to have him as my professor and to also work with his wife for student teaching. Both are great teachers, and even better people.

 

4. What initially piqued your interest in pursuing a degree in education?

I originally wanted to start teaching because of my father, Darin. He is also a teacher. Seeing him inspire so many young children growing up made me want to follow in his footsteps.

 

5. What do you love most about teaching?

I LOVE building connections with students. Every student has a different story, and I think that they are all important to be recognized.

 

6. What makes a great teacher?

Compassion, empathy, and patience are just a few characteristics that make someone a great teacher. It is also important to love what you do. In education, you need to have love for your profession, your students, your school, community, and staff!