Our Personal College/Career Journey by Julia Johns

Ms. Johns - Counselor Grades 11-12

jjohns82 — 2021-09-08 18:14:56 UTC

I started talking about going to college when I was in the 1st grade. I loved my first grade teacher, Mrs. Burnett, and I knew I wanted to be a teacher just like her. I took college prep classes at Columbus East, with the hopes of getting accepted at Indiana University. My counselor told me that these classes would help me prepare for the types of classes I would be taking in college - she was right. The hardest part about going to college was juggling work and school. I worked my way through college selling shoes at the old L.S.Ayres in the Bloomington Mall. The most rewarding part of college was getting to meet people from all over the world! My biggest supporters have always been the members of my family - especially my 98 year old grandmother!

https://youtu.be/44u7LEfMnRI

Amy McClure - School Counselor K - 10th

2021-09-13 13:13:23 UTC

My entire family is in education! As a little girl, it's what we talked about, valued, and continue to find important. Learning is a life long task and staying curious about what the world has to offer is center stage! I earned my bachelor's degree at Indiana University in Spanish Education. I taught Spanish for 15 years. Then I wanted to learn more and help students in a different way. I earned my masters in School Counseling from Butler University.

I always knew I wanted to work in education...it's what came natural and I was inspired by my high school Spanish teacher! I actually traveled to Spain for the first time with her when I was a Junior in high school and that is when I really got hooked on learning another language and helping others! It's also what inspired me to continue to learn the language and later afforded me the opportunity to study abroad, volunteer on mission trips and return to Spain taking MY students there!

As I reflect on college, it is a wonderful time of your life! It's a period of growth, exploration, grit and determination! There are easy days and there are tough days...but staying committed to your dreams and goals will make it all worth it. Your education is the key to opening doors for a successful future! My degrees remind me, I can do anything I put your mind to.

Mrs. Guyer - Principal

micheleguyer — 2021-09-15 14:41:57 UTC

I always knew I wanted to go to college. I loved (and still love) school. I actually decided last minute to go into education. Most of my childhood, I wanted to go into engineering like my dad. I loved space and technology, excelled in math and science, and wanted to focus on aerospace engineering. I was discouraged from pursuing this path because I was a girl (not by my family, of course). Being impressionable, I left high school feeling lost. When I enrolled in the College of Education at Butler University (Go Dawgs! 🐶💙), I wanted to have an impact on students. I wanted students to leave my classroom feeling like they could pursue their dreams, no matter what those were. I made my way back to the STEM field working in technology in schools and now leading an online school., blending my love of education and my first aspiration. I have my Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Education and Special Education, my Master's Degree in Education Leadership and Instructional Technology, and my Education Specialist Degree in Administration and Superintendency.

I learned in high school how to work independently, how to find answers to questions that I had, and important study skills. This was so beneficial when I went away to school and was on my own. Oh, and my high school English 12 ACP class was instrumental in preparing me for writing at the university level (thank you, Ms. Fults!). I'm even an author now, and I credit a lot of that journey to that specific class and teacher.

I grew up in a small town. The most rewarding thing about going to college was surrounding myself with different people and different experiences. I learned a lot about myself and others in school. It was definitely the start of a personal evolution and journey that I am grateful for.

My family was always very supportive and certainly contributed to my success. I also was fortunate (and intentional) to surround myself with peers and friends who were driven and intelligent. I've always heard that if you are the smartest person in the room, you need a new room. I'm definitely a product of surrounding myself with people to look up to and to learn from. This served me well in college, and continues to serve me well today.

Ms. Uebbing 9-12 Social Studies

suebbing — 2021-09-17 19:27:30 UTC

From a young age I decided I wanted to go to college. Neither of my parents did because they married young and started a family. I always enjoyed learning about the world, cultures and history! My 7th grade social studies teacher, Mrs. Nance, showed me how amazing social studies could be. She always had a way to make history come alive! I was fortunate to have several social studies teachers in high school that only furthered my love for history. I knew that I wanted to follow down that path. I decided to attend Indiana Wesleyan University after visiting campus with some friends. It was far enough away from home to where I felt like I was away but close enough that I could make weekend trip homes if I needed. I choose a smaller school that was in line with my value system. They had a wonderful education program as well. Coming from a low income family, I had to work hard to pay for college. I applied for scholarships, loans and grants and worked two jobs throughout high school. I was blessed to have grandparents to invest in my education as well. I am so thankful for their continued encouragement and support. I have since earned my Master's Degree in Education.

Mrs. Ritchie - Online Success Coach

jritchie — 2021-09-20 00:52:25 UTC

I have always known I was going to go to college. My dad went to college and mom did not. She always said she wished she had gone and wanted us to go. I have wanted to be a teacher since I was little. Education is a family job. My dad, his sister (my aunt), great uncle and cousin are all teachers. I loved school and wanted to teach kids since kindergarten. When I was little, I am told that I made my stuffed animals and dolls play school with me.

My parents were most influential in my decision to go to college. They have encouraged me in everything and college was no exception. What helped me most in preparing for college was being very involved in activities in and out of school. College is a great time in life, but managing academics and not living at home was a huge transition.

I got my undergraduate degree from Franklin College and my Masters Degree from Ball State University. My Ball State degree was an online degree in Curriculum and Technology. In both degree programs, time management was sometimes an issue. Balancing life and school was not easy. I got my masters after I had a job and a child. So managing family, work, school and life was sometimes a fun juggling act.

I have had many people who have encouraged me along the way from my parents, high school guidance counselor and many teachers along the way.

My most rewarding goal in college is to say that I learned great study skills (I didn't really have them when I got to school) and my time management skills improved while I was in college.

Ms. Kaufmann - 3rd-8th Science/Social Studies

MsKaufmann — 2021-09-20 12:45:59 UTC

In 1997, I attended Hope College in Holland, MI, where I received a Bachelor's of Arts in Musical Theatre. For several years after graduation, I worked as a professional actor around the United States. In 2010, I decided to go back to school to become a teacher. I moved to Indianapolis and attended Marian University as part of their MAT (Masters of Arts in Teaching) program. After graduating in 2011, I have been working in education ever since. I have taught 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th grade!

Miss. Palma- Multilingual Learner teacher. (pre-k through 12th)

epalma20 — 2024-09-13 16:11:42 UTC

As a first generation student, my journey to college graduation wasn’t easy, but it was definitely worth it! I am the first person in my family to graduate from college. There were many barriers put in place for me to make this journey hard. My mom left Mexico, and did not speak any English. She came here with very little, and left her parents and siblings behind. This process was very hard for her, but she knew that she wanted to give my sister and I a better life. So Indiana became our new home, and ever since I started school, she always emphasized to take education seriously. The only time she would allow me to miss school was for doctors/dentist appointments, and if the appointments were in the mornings, I would still have to go to school half-day. I also grew up in a low-income household, and college seemed unattainable. I was fortunate enough to have been granted the 21st century scholarship. I worked really hard in high school to be able to keep it, but it wasn’t always a smooth road. At some point my grades were really bad, and I was at risk of losing my scholarship. I had to be reminded that my future was in my hands and I had to make better choices in school. So I started making better study habits and my grades improved. I was also inspired by some amazing staff during my senior year which made me finish high school on a good note.

I ended up going to Ivy tech for two years and then transferred to IUPUI. When I first started Ivy tech, I began with a major in social work, but switched to education a semester later. I have never looked back, and I am so happy to have chosen this path because I love my job and all the amazing staff and students I get to meet.

I also loved the time I spent on campus because it was the first time I was away from home and felt like an actual adult. I also enjoyed seeing and meeting new people from different places, different life experiences, and different perspectives. College was eye opening, and I learned a lot. My mom wanted me to focus on my college journey, so I had the privilege to not work during my time as a student. Even though it was a wonderful experience that I would love to live in again, there were some really hard days followed by some really hard classes. That did not stop me though! I wanted to make sure that all the sacrifices my mom made for me were worth it, so giving up was not an option. I really don’t know where I’d be today without the support of my mom, family, and some really great teachers!

Mrs. Tucker- 9-12 Mathematics

2024-09-20 15:46:13 UTC

I. Love. Learning! Whether it is learning how to weld or how to read the key features of a Quintic function, I am all in as long as I find the content cognitively and/or physically challenging. Having been brought up in a low-income family in India, I knew that college was my way out to do something big and accomplish something for myself in life. I was in college working on my Bachelor's with a double major in English and Education in India however, had to drop out to move to the U.S. Since the U.S. education system vastly differs from the Indian one, I had to start anew in my college journey in the U.S. while trying to settle into a new country with a new job.

I graduated from Allen County Community College in 2023 with an Associate’s degree in Psychology and from Indiana Wesleyan University in 2025 with Bachelor's in Secondary Education. I will graduate from Fort Hays State University with a Bachelor's in Psychology and from Allen County Community College with an Associates' in Mathematics in the fall of 2025. I will also be graduating with a Transition to Teaching program from MathTrack University in 2026. Although it sounds like a lot, learning while working helps me grow as an individual as I get to learn new things each day, thanks to the multitude of learning opportunities from the various degree programs that I am enrolled in and my jobs. As most staff members have mentioned here, time management is key to a great college/career readiness experience.

Mrs. Kuhn ELA Grades 3-6

2024-09-20 16:05:37 UTC

In 1986, I started taking college courses at IUPUI. I transferred to University of Indianapolis in 1988, and earned a Bachelor's degree in Communications. After that, I started my career in publishing. My first job was assistant editor of The Indianapolis Register. My next job was editor of Town Planner calendars for Fisher, Carmel, and Noblesville. Finally, I ended up as editor of Fax Daily. Fax Daily was a fun one page paper delivered to Fax Machines in Indianapolis. My son was born in 2001, and I ended up starting my own online magazine called IndyKidZone so I could be home with him. I covered events for kids and families in the Indianapolis area. When my son started grade school, I started substitute teaching. After subbing a few years, I decided to go back to school to earn my teaching certification. My first teaching job was as Media Specialist at IPS School 67. I also taught 4th grade while there. After spending four years at School 67, I was fortunate to land at Warren teaching at Raymond Park, Hawthorne, and now at Warren Online Academy.

Mrs. Hildebrandt Grades K-2

2024-09-20 16:49:19 UTC