Hello! I am originally from northern California. My husband and I recently celebrated 21 years together. Not only do we have being middle children in common, but we are also in the same birth order of fourth out of six. Our daughter is a veterinary nurse and our son is starting his first day of college today. My English bulldog is a very good boy.

I am a senior and will be graduating in Spring 2026 with a BA in elementary education. I worked in education for several years, and decided to pursue becoming a licensed teacher during the COVID school closures. I reflected that it was time to stop putting off what was in my heart to accomplish. 

Teaching is my God-given gift and calling. I have always liked sharing knowledge with others, and showing them how to do things on their own. I enjoy working with children because they have qualities that remind me to have in my life; finding joy in everyday things, being inquisitive and wanting to learn, and having hopes for the future. I am effective in my career choice because I am kind, patient, organized, well-prepared, and want to continuously grow professionally. 

Thanks for reading about me, and have an awesome Fall semester!

I'm from the Gardnerville-Carson area here in Nevada, but when I was eleven my parents bought a sailboat in Turkey which we sailed all the way to Mexico. This is my second year of college classes outside of high school but my first year here at Nevada State. I received my Associates degree last year and am transferring to get my BA in Elementary Education. I'm the oldest of five and have around 60 cousins who are younger than me so I've had quite a bit of experience helping out with kids and have found out it's something I enjoy and want to pursue as a career. 

I hope you all have a wonderful fall semester!

My name is Joselyn Gonzalez. I was born and raised in Las Vegas Nevada with my family originally from Durango, Mexico. I am the youngest of three sisters, and have three dogs, Zach, Ruby and Bebe! This is my final year at Nevada State, I will be obtaining my Batchelor's degree in Elementary Education with a minor in School Based Mental Health. I knew from a young age that I wanted to be a teacher. I would play "school" with my sisters, where I would make mini "lessons" and even assign homework that I could grade. I have always loved working with kiddos. In high school I part of an was a part of an education program for students interested in becoming teachers. The program really solidified my love for teaching and being in the classroom. A quality that I have and feel is important in this career is the ability to see every student as an intricate and valuable individual, both inside and outside of the classroom. As teachers, we spend a lot of time with our students. Getting to really know them and understand the way they learn is the foundation for building a classroom community where they feel seen and encouraged to grow. I look forward to this semester! Good luck everyone ♡

My name is Nathan Correa, and I was born in California and moved out to Las Vegas in 1996 with my parents. I am also a husband and a dad of an 8-year-old girl. She definitely keeps me on my feet and is quite funny. I honestly don’t have too many hobbies, but I am a gamer who loves to play on Xbox. I believe my daughter will slowly follow in my footsteps of becoming a gamer as well.

As for my education goals, I am currently a junior at NSU working towards earning my Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education. Prior to attending NSU, I graduated from CSN with an AA in Elementary Education. I actually decided to become a teacher because of my daughter. She had shown me that being around kids is actually fun!

Some of the qualities that I noticed I have that will make me an excellent teacher is my patience and caring nature. In fact, all my life I was considered to be an introvert. Knowing that I am, I believe I am naturally very observant of my surroundings. This will be extremely helpful while teaching a class and knowing little facts such as if the student is understanding the material or not. Also, the last skill set that I have is being a kid at heart, which is important because kids will tend to associate with.

I retired from the pharmacy after almost 30 years as a pharmacy technician due to a rare medical disorder. Not sure if you have ever heard of Scleroderma/Raynaud's but if not, that is what I have, leaving me disabled but strong at the same time. I went on chemo for 5 years and I am happy to say I am doing much better and maintaining my stability as of now. It did leave my fingers kind of distorted but, I am a true warrior so it will not get the best of me. I was born in Flint MIchigan, which is ironic that due to my medical condition, I could never live there again.

I always wanted to be an elementary school teacher since I was little girl. Now at the tinder age of 50, I am proud to say I am pursuing my goal. I got my AA of Arts, teacher's aide para-pro, and tons of certificates of achievement. I am now on the way to my BA and, ultimately, I want my master's in psychology. I do love the innocence of a young person's logic and the way they process information. I am looking forward to a successful semester and wish everyone well.

My name is Rosio Romo. I was born and raised in Las Vegas Nevada. I'm the oldest out of 4 kids. My parents are originally from Encarnacion de Diaz Jalisco Mexico, and they moved to vegas when they were 11 years old. This is my second year here in Nevada State working towards getting my Bachelor's degree in elementary education. One of the reasons why I wanted to become a teacher is because growing up I always had amazing teachers that would always go above and beyond to help me succeed. I currently work at a charter school with 4th grade I love going to work and being with the kids, getting to know them, and help them in every way possible. I enjoy working with kids every day, and reminding them that they are capable of great things and achieving anything they set their minds to.

Thank you class and I wish you all the best in this course!:)

I’m Chelsea Dela Pena. I was born and raised in Las Vegas Nevada, but my family is originally from the Philippines and most of my relatives live here in Vegas. I come from a big family, lots of cousins, aunts, and uncles from both sides of my parents. Nine aunts and eight uncles to mention and lots of cousins that I grew up with. With my parents in mind, I’m the youngest and the baby of the family. I have one older brother named Mark, who serves in the military in the Navy and he’s currently stationed in San Diego. Whereas with me, I’m the first generation college student who is able to go to college and pursue my dreams and goals in life of hopefully working with little ones someday at an elementary school. The type of degree that I’m actually aiming for is a bachelors degree because I’m currently majoring in Psychology and minoring in Education & Instruction and School-Based Mental Health minor at the same time. The whole reason why I chose psychology in the first place is because I find it fascinating and interesting to begin with. My interest arose when I was in high school taking a psychology class learning valuable information on how people are the way they are and react to certain things that trigger them in the first place. But besides that, I love the open opportunities and access that psychology has to open with their field involving some careers with education that psychology can be applied to. Then the type of qualities that would make me effective in my career choice is being highly observant, patient, resourceful, motivated, great work ethic, and ambitious that would make a flexible worker in the setting. It’s always striving to make people happy and learn something new everyday in the work setting that can be fulfilling in my life and others around me. 

I'm Jeannette Duran and was born and raised here in Las Vegas. Although I love it here, I will never get used to the heat! I have 4 kids-3 boys and 1 girl. Yes, she is spoiled but so are the others. :) I've been married for 20 years this past summer. We love taking advantage of the beautiful scenery around us and go to Red Rock, Mt. Charleston and Lake Mead often.

This is my 3rd semester back to college after taking nearly 15 years off. I'm so excited because since I graduated high school I knew this was my calling in life. It's just taken me a little longer to get here. I started my degree right after high school, but stopped when I had my second son. I was raised in the classroom. My mom, grandma, and grandpa were teachers and I guess it's in my blood. I am getting a degree in Elementary Education and have 2 more years left. I've always felt comfortable around kids and love seeing them grow and conquer their struggles. I have been subbing for the past 12 years and am finally ready to have my own classroom. It has given me an abundance amount of experience that I will always appreciate as I navigate my own classroom.

Excited for a new semester and to learn with all of you!

I've been attending NSC for 2 years so this will be my 3rd year. I'm a psychology major with a minor in school-based mental health. My career goal is to become either a school psychologist or school counselor. I’m most interested in working with elementary students as I do love working with the younger kids.

Some of the qualities that I believe will make me effective in my career choice are my patience and empathy skills. I’ve had experience working with children at my previous job and in high school which taught me about the importance of listening and helping kids feel supported. I also consider myself a very organized and hard-working person. Looking forward to this semester and wishing everyone the best! :)

My name is Candy, and I am from San Francisco, California, where I was born and raised. In 2015, I moved to Las Vegas with my son and have lived here since. My son is currently a junior in high school, earning good grades and participating in sports, which makes me a proud basketball mom. Although I am a little strict as a single parent, he understands it is for the best. My personal goal was for my son to see me graduate with my A.A. degree, which I have accomplished. Now, with my B.A. degree, my son and I will both be graduating in the same year. In my spare time, I enjoy cooking and baking, especially trying new dishes. I also enjoy spending time outdoors and traveling with my son whenever possible.

I am pursuing a degree in Early Childhood Education with a minor in school-based psychology. From a young age, I knew that I wanted to teach, especially at the elementary level. I enjoy being creative and making the teaching experience fun, while also emphasizing class integrity. My career choice is based on my passion for witnessing children learn and grow, as well as the knowledge I have gained about child development over the years.

​The qualities I possess are patience, empathy, and listening skills. I am able to connect with the youth and understand what they need in order to improve their academics. Allow students to speak with me to share what they need to help them succeed.

My name is Elise Steffensen, I was born in Vegas and have lived/traveled to a lot of other places. I have two poodles, Howdy and Wren (the loves of my life). I love to travel, learn new things, and have new experiences. I graduated from SECTA a year early then went to NSU for environmental science. I switched my major to ECE education after realizing environmental wasn't what I wanted to do. I actually dropped out for a bit over a year because of a serious burn out, but I returned last winter for elementary education and I am excited! I live in a family full of educators, went to a career and technical high school for teaching, so teaching feels natural to me. I grew up playing school and writing lessons for fun, so again, it just feels natural! I know the kind of space I appreciated as a student, and I want to be able to create that as an educator myself. I also recently got my substitute license :D so I am about to start subbing for CCSD to dip my toes in the water, and see what elementary schools are like today. The qualities I possess that I believe will help me be a good educator is empathy, mindfulness, patience, and adaptability!

My name is Michelle Le (Me-Shell-Lay) &

I am majoring in Elementary Education. :) I am currently a physical educator at a charter school. I am from Oklahoma, my family on my dad side is from Cuba and mom's side is Cherokee Indian. I love Disney movies & really anything Disney. I strive to get my bachelors degree, but to continue being a physical educator and plan to get my endorsement in Physical education after I graduate from NV State University. I love teaching P.E & I am good at it. I hope to become a better P.E teacher for my students and motivate my students to be the very best version of themselves.

I am very patient and kind. I always try to assume the best and truly find it rewarding when my students learn from me and use what I teach them in their every day lives.

I'm Sorina Stevenson, and I'm originally from Watsonville, CA. A small town about 20 minutes from Santa Cruz, CA. I moved to Reno, NV, about 11 years ago. My husband and I have been married for 6 years now, and we have 4 children together, ages 14,10,8, and 2. They keep us busy. We are both involved with our Church and enjoy going to Lake Tahoe and traveling to California when we can. We recently went to the Monterey Bay Aquarium before school started and had a blast.

I'm currently a Junior here at NSU, and I'm working towards my BA in Elementary Education. My goals right now are to take in as much information as I can to help me be successful and to substitute as many classes as possible to get exposure in the classroom. So far, my favorite grades to teach are 2nd and 3rd grade.

I've always enjoyed working with children; it has always been a passion of mine. This is tremendously important when becoming a teacher. As many of us know, teaching is not easy. I see and hear that it comes with many highs and many lows, but to me, the reward is and will always be far greater than the lows. I've been told that I have a lot of patience with kids, and I'm able to connect with kids of all ages, which I believe is important as an educator.

Thank you for reading my introduction, I hope everyone has a great semester. :)

My name is Adriana Armour and I was born and raised in Reno, Nevada. I have two kids, Damian (5) and Elena (3), they are my entire world! I currently work part-time as a substitute for the school district and as a receptionist for a gymnastics place. My days are very busy and tiring, but I love it.

I am working towards my bachelor's degree in elementary education and should graduate next year. I love working with younger children and plan to teach Kinder or First grade.

I have been working with children since 2018 when I started as a caregiver at a daycare. I took a break and had a couple of kids, and decided I wanted to go back to school to continue working with kids. It is the hardest most rewarding career there is that does not get enough credit. Teachers wear many hats and have over 20 kids relying on them to educate academically and about life skills. I really enjoy watching kids achieve their goals by working hard and thriving with encouragement.

I wish everyone an amazing semester :)

Vy Phan

I’m currently pursuing a degree in Elementary Education because I’ve always enjoyed working with kids and helping them learn. Since I’ve been a little girl play teacher with my younger brother.I feel like teaching is such an important career since it shapes children at such a young age, and I want to be a positive influence in their lives.

Some of the qualities I think will help me be successful as a teacher are patience, being dependable, and having strong communication skills. I also enjoy working with others, and I’m willing to keep learning so I can always improve as an educator. I try to stay positive and encouraging, which I think is important when working with children

My name is Jessica Otty, and I am from the Henderson area here in Nevada. I have lived in Henderson for pretty much my entire life, and I have loved every second of it. I am an only child, but i do have an amazing family and my boyfriend's family treat me so amazing, so I have two amazing families I am a part of.

My major is currently Elementary education with a concentration is Special Education. I work as a paraprofessional in a Special Education classroom and I have been working in the same classroom for three years, and I love it so much. Special education has such a special place in my heart. so I think when I become a teacher, I want to work in special ed.

I have always wanted to be a teacher ever since I was a little girl, so i think me having that midset will make me a great teacher. I think also that working in a special education classroom is also a good thing because I have an idea of strategies i can implement in my own classroom one day.

Hope everyone has a great semester!

I’m working toward my Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education. I recently transferred from CSN, where I earned my AA, and I’m excited to continue my journey in education. Teaching has always felt like my purpose. I’ve worked with children for several years as a preschool teacher and now as a teacher’s assistant, and those experiences made me even more excited to one day have a classroom of my own. My goal is to teach first or second grade in Oregon.

I’d say my strengths are patience, creativity, and kindness. I enjoy finding fun ways to make learning meaningful, and I believe kids learn best when they feel safe, supported, and loved.

I’m looking forward to this class and getting to know all of you!

My name is Heidi Anauisca, and I live up in Reno, Nevada. I am a full-time online student. Even though I am attending Nevada State and am not from Vegas, I actually do have a lot of family that does live there, so I get to go visit pretty often. I am the youngest in my family. I have one older sister, and we are seven years apart. I live with my parents and my two dogs, Ozzy and Fluffy. I chose online school because it gives me time to do things at my own speed, as well as gives me the ability to work and go to school. As a student, my main goal for the time being is to finish school and graduate. Once I graduate, my award for completing school will be my dream car, a silly car choice, but it is a Ford Bronco. Of course, another goal is to go straight into working a a teacher, I hope that's what it'll be, but only time will tell. I received my Associate of Science and my Associate in Arts, Spanish. I was first a science major and was going to school to become an Ultrasound tech when I realized that was not what I wanted to do. I recently changed my major to Elementary Education, and not one single bit of me regrets it at all. I look forward to seeing what my journey has in store for me. I love kids, and I have always dreamt of being a teacher, but it wasn't what I had originally planned for. Then, I quickly realized I was going to do something I didn't actually want to do and wasn't going to enjoy it, which eventually meant setting myself up for failure. Now I am here with no regrets. Some qualities of mine that I will be able to incorporate in my future career are being bilingual, even though I am not a concentration in the Bilingual Education major, I speak fluent Spanish, and it is a valuable quality to have. Another one of my strong qualities I have is problem-solving. There can be times when something occurs, and I don't know what I am supposed to do. Eventually, after taking my time and considering the pros and cons, I figured out what I can do to get through the challenge. Lastly, I would say another strong quality of mine is that I am a very caring person. No matter the circumstances or person, I tend to show care because sometimes that's what someone needs, and by showing the care, it can go a long way and possibly even help them out. I wish you all a wonderful fall semester and the best of luck!

I’m working toward a degree in Elementary Education because I love working with children and helping them grow in both confidence and knowledge. Teaching gives me the chance to make a positive difference and be part of those “lightbulb moments” when students realize what they can do.

Some of the qualities I bring to this career path are patience, creativity, and a strong work ethic. I enjoy making learning engaging, finding innovative ways to explain concepts, and supporting others when challenges come up. I am confident these qualities will help me succeed in the classroom and build strong connections with my students. I’m excited for a great semester ahead!

I am currently a junior at Nevada State, majoring in Elementary Education. I decided to become a teacher because growing up, I was already teaching my nieces and nephews, and now that they are grown, I value the people they have become, and I am glad to have been a small part of their journey.

Growing up around kids has instilled in me certain qualities that will benefit me in my future career. I grew up with eight nieces and nephews. Being the youngest of my two sisters made me their personal nanny, so I've cared for kids and know how to. I am patient, and I have always gotten along with younger kids than those my age.

My name is Adriana Cohen. I was born and raised in California, but happy to share that we have now made Las Vegas our home.

I am currently working on converting my ARL teaching license into a standard one. I originally wanted to pursue a career in law, however, after starting a family I wanted to work in the teaching field. Seeing young minds develop, well, I wanted to be a part of that.

I think I have many qualities that make me effective in my field. I'm passionate about teaching. I work well with young children and have been told I have great classroom management.

I'm looking forward to this class!

I graduated from CSN in the spring of last year, did a semester at UNLV and realized I didn’t like it much, and now I am here at NSU! Right now I am working on getting my bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education with a minor in School-Based Mental Health. Ever since I was a kid I had thought of becoming an educator when I grew up, and when it was time to start college, I decided to pursue teaching. At first I wanted to do Secondary Education, that is actually what my associate’s degree is in, but I quickly realized the older kids were not for me. 

Three qualities that I have that I think make a good teacher are empathy, adaptability, and classroom management. Empathy is an incredibly important quality to have as a teacher, in my opinion it is the most important. To be a successful teacher you have to be able to empathize with students and their families. Adaptability is also important as a teacher, especially as an elementary teacher. As a teacher your environment, situations, and challenges are ever changing, and you have to be able to roll with it. Lastly classroom management, it is the core of how you act as a teacher and run your classroom. If your process is off, your students will be as well. 

My name is Tia Carter-Lyons, and I was born and raised in Nevada. I am married with a three year old and a 3 month old. I love reading, baking, and watching The Summer I Turned Pretty (episode 9 made me so mad). I received my associates of Elementary Education from CSN, but when I transferred to Nevada State I switched to Early Childhood Education. I made this switch because I do not have interest in teaching any grade higher than second at the moment. I currently work as a library aide at an elementary school, and I just don't see myself teaching those upper grades. Maybe that will change, but for now I am sticking to early childhood! I love being able to see when a child grows in their education and when the "lightbulb clicks" when they discover something. I think I can bring fun energy and excitement into the classroom, and I am very excited to learn as much as I can so I can be a successful teacher!

The degree that I am pursuing is Early Childhood Education and Special Education. I made this choice because I've always enjoyed teaching and working with children.

The qualities that I have that will help me be effective in my career are the fact that I'm always willing to adapt and learn new information; I know that new theories are being made and that new information is found every day regarding Education. Being willing to learn and adapt to new knowledge is an important quality. I also have a lot of patience, which I know is important when working with children.