Journey of a Future Educator by

sej040 — 2025-05-30 20:26:02 UTC

Before college, I really had no idea what I wanted to do. I knew I wanted to go to college, but had no idea what to major in or what I wanted to do career wise. I did a lot of babysitting and helped in my church's youth ministry, so I've always loved working for kids. My grandma was a teacher, so I had a lot of experience with being in the classroom and watching her. I just didn't know that teaching was my calling yet.

sej040 — 2025-05-30 20:49:26 UTC

When I first came to the U of A, I still didn't know what I was meant to do. I started out as an apparel merchandising major, but found out that working in fashion was not for me. I started a job at an elementary school doing tutoring, and quickly fell in love with working with kids in a school setting. I knew that changing my major to elementary education was the best decision for me.

sej040 — 2025-05-30 20:55:55 UTC

After I graduate, I hope to stay in Arkansas and begin teaching either 1st or 2nd grade. My family lives in Arkansas, and I want to stay close to them. I also have the Arkansas Teacher Academy Scholarship which requires me to stay and teach in Arkansas for the amount of years that I am funded by it. I really would be happy teaching any elementary grade, but I love to work with kids around the age of 1st and 2nd grade because I think it's such a fun age to teach. My main goal as a teacher is to create an inclusive, welcoming environment for my students to feel safe and have fun learning.