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Hello, everyone! My name is Diego Sanjuan, and I am a student in the Master of Arts in Leadership program while also serving as the Coordinator of Alumni Engagement at Lenoir-Rhyne University. Since Dr. Woodard shared that her teaching philosophy is centered on vocation, I wanted to share my own vocational statement: I am a leader called to build experiences that cultivate purpose, inspire others, and help shape community.

While I earned my B.S. in Biochemistry from LR (Class of 2024), my career aspirations lie within in higher education administration. I hope one day to serve as a Dean of Students or in a comparable leadership role. I also hold co-aspirations of becoming a community leader and servant, using skills grounded in transformational and adaptive leadership.

Although my journey does not include teaching in the K-12 system, I am eager to better understand the history, context, and modern perspectives on education. I hope to use that knowledge to reinforce my vocational commitment to improving higher education and strengthening community.

I am looking forward to this class and invite you to connect with me on LinkedIn.

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Hello Everyone!

My name is Reanna Rice, and I am in the Master of Arts in Leadership program here at LR. I am taking this course as an elective to my leadership degree. In doing so, I hope to learn more about the history of education as a system and its growth over time. A fun spring activity that I enjoy is taking graduation photos and portraits for those who are celebrating their own incredible milestones/achievements!

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Hi :) I am Dakota: a believer, a mom, and an advocate for those who aren't heard. I have grown from the ground up in the Hickory, NC area. I also attended LRU for undergrad, graduated Spring '19.

I am a lateral entry teacher so completing this course I will be certified free and clear to continue my teaching career. My content focus is middle grades ELA, despite it being my nemesis during my time in middle school as a student.

My overall gain from this course is to get a broader idea of education as a whole. Unfortunately, it is a broken system if you have been apart of it as of late. I want to know how, and when that came to be. Also, how to repair the damage and set up my students for success. I am only one individual teaching in a small town, but every student will gain something from me and I pray it leads them to believe and achieve their goals.

Previously, I have enjoyed shopping and the winery downtown (Hickory Square area) in the Spring. This year I am eager to take my son to experience all that God has created. Most of my friends also had children, so I'm sure we will all be spending plenty of time inn the fresh air with our boys to see a brand new world (to them at least).

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Hey class!

I'm Lauren and I am a family photographer/Montessori teacher. I just moved to the area from San Diego and I am excited to build roots here!

My content area is middle grades English, as writing and literature have been my passion since childhood. I'm excited to learn more about curriculum development and effective teaching methods so that I can lead my students well, and support their love for learning.

This spring, I'm planning to explore the area, find great hikes, and grow my business!

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Hey y’all,

My name is Tiffany. I live in Cary, NC with my three boys, but we’re originally from southern Arizona. I finished my undergrad in psychology in ‘24 and I’m excited to take my knowledge in that area and add in what I’ll learn from this MAT program to become a well-rounded teacher. My current area of focus is Middle Grades Language Arts but I also plan to get my licensure in Social Studies, too, and get my license for 9-12 as well. Being from the desert gives me a great appreciation for all the seasons here in NC and I love to hike in all of them. I’m excited to be on this journey with y’all.

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Hello Everyone, my name is Andrew Scroggs. I am an elementary school music teacher and freelance musician. I am hoping to gain knowledge and experience to better serve my students. My content area is K-12 music. In the spring I look forward to gigs starting back up after the January/February lull.

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Even though I am already teaching, I want to continue growing in my understanding of the historical, social, and philosophical foundations of education. I hope this course helps me connect those foundations to my own classroom practices and gives me new perspectives I can carry forward as both a current teacher and a future educational leader.

I am a student in the MA in Leadership program. I graduated in 2024 with my BA in Elementary Education!

One of my favorite ways to spend my free time is going outdoors with my fiancé and our goldendoodle, Winston.

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My name is Taylor, and I graduated from LR in the spring of 2024 with a BA in Psychology. I currently work as a receptionist in a nursing home, which I enjoy, but I am looking forward to becoming a teacher. I am seeking my MAT in Secondary English. I look forward to learning everything about the education system because I don't have much background knowledge in the subject. In my free time, I like to read and do basically any type of craft. I also enjoy spending time with my family and our dogs.

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My name is Lacy. I am a senior, but I am in the Accelerated Master's Program. My area of teaching will be in Elementary School PE! In this course, I want to learn and have a better understanding of how education got to where it is today to help me in my own field. In my free time, I enjoy lifting, animals, and being active.

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My name is Carson and I am currently a senior History major at LR and am in the Accelerated Master's MAT program. I will be graduating with my Bachelors degree in May. As a history major I am looking forward into learning more about the history of how the education system has formed into what it is today in this course. After the MAT program I am looking to teach high school social studies in North Carolina. I play football at LR so I have not been able to experience many spring activities outside of football but when I do find some down time I enjoy going golfing with some of my buddies, especially when the weather starts warming up. I love all things history and football and am eager to learn more about the education system in this course.

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Me at Emerald Isle. I got buried by my friends. This is the single best picture I have ever taken of myself.

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My name is Joshua Bourgoin. I graduated in December with my Bachelor of Music and am now in the graduate program. My concentration is in Music but any and all grade levels are on the table as music is a K-12 degree. I am excited for this course as I am going to get to understand what led me education to this point and what I could do to shape education for the better. At least in my classroom anyway.

My favorite things to do in the spring is to take pictures of the trees and flowers when they start to bloom around campus. I have many pictures of the Dogwood trees on campus and many pictures of the flora in Spain when I went. I really like nature but also video games and music which is where I spend most of my time. i really enjoy writing and composing my own music as a way of self-expression and to really find beauty in the music. One of my goals later in life is to get a film-score composition degree.

I am really excited and nervous to start this new chapter of my life.

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My name is Timothy but everyone calls me Tim. I currently teach 7th and 8th Grade Science. I would really like to learn how to become a better teacher and new and exciting ways to make my content fun and engaging. I am seeking my MAT in Middle Grade Science and my favorite thing to do in the spring is to take the doors off of my jeep and go for a ride to the beach and drive my jeep on the beach. I love to travel with my wife and two kids and talk anything sports related.

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My name is Katherine and I currently teach 8th grade Math and Math 1. I am seeking a Master’s of Art in Teaching degree for Middle Grades Math. I am excited to learn about how far the education system has improved over the years. Hoping to inspire students to finish high school and pursue trade schools or college. My favorite thing to do in the spring is travel to the beach!

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My name is Kristin and I am a senior Music Education major with my primary instrument being voice! My content area is music and in the MAT program I am just hoping to get more confident and comfortable teaching and being in front of a classroom! In this class I am excited to gain a better understanding of the history of education.

In the Spring I love being outdoors and playing sports like volleyball, ultimate frisbee, or just going on a run. I also enjoy reading on my hammock.

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My name is Lakien! I am a senior, but I am in the Accelerated Masters Program. My content area is Music. In this course, I want to have a better understanding of how education got to where it is today.

In the spring, I love to grab my hammock, as well as a book, and relax outside. However, I do love to binge watch tv shows!

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My name is Taylor Stone, and I am a 7th-grade ELA teacher seeking my MAT in Middle School English. I am looking forward to gaining a better understanding of the history of education and how it has shaped our current education system.

In the spring, I try to be outdoors as much as possible, whether that involves camping, fishing, hiking, or other activities. However, if a rainy day comes along, my favorite indoor activity is watching scary movies!

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My name is Kaitlin, I am a senior and am part of the Accelerates Masters Program! My content area is Secondary English. As this is my first really important EDU course, I am looking forward to gaining a good understanding of the history that set us up with our modern understanding of the education system.
My favorite pastime is consuming all kinds of media. I love books, movies, tv, and theater. I would love to hear some of your favorite movies or books so that I can add them to my watchlist or reading list!

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My name is Ebony Joe. I am looking forward to learning new tools that I can use in my own classroom! My content area is middle grades mathematics. I recently went hiking and love it, so I think I'll go a few more times this Spring!

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My name is Mark Branz. I'm looking forward to learning more about the history of education in a more formal setting after learning more casually the past few years, mostly via books.

My content area is secondary mathematics. After graduating with an undergraduate degree in mathematics, the MAT program here was a perfect opportunity to continue learning.

Regardless of the season, I rarely go anywhere without a book to read. Otherwise, I enjoy driving through the middle of nowhere for hours just for a single view, as seen in my picture above.

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I am a part of the Bridges to Dreams program so right now I am getting my undergraduate degree in Exercise Science. I would like to learn more about the teaching background and program to help me get a path for my future. I am hoping to get some exposure and teaching in secondary science. In my free time I enjoy playing tennis and running. Anything outdoors!