What brings you to SNHU? 

    Throughout my k-12 schooling, I had many influential teachers. The first was in the fifth grade. I had a young, new teacher who was incredibly passionate about her profession. She believed in praising students for what they did correctly rather than penalizing them for what they did incorrectly. To put this idea in practice, she never used red pen. Rather, she marked the correct answers with highlighter, so the brighter your paper was the better you did. In seventh grade, my english teacher was very strict. She taught me the importance of being proactive in my education. One class remains engrained in my memory. She was disappointed by the lack of completed homework. She told us that without completing what we were supposed to with minimal errors, we would never be able to get a job. Lastly, of all the teachers I ever had my high school math teacher made the most impact. I first had her freshman year. I had a difficult transition to private school and she eased my transformation. I had her again my junior year and she helped me through the college process. 

    As a junior in high school, I had no idea what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. I had four older siblings who had gone to college: one for architecture, one for Biochemistry, one for Business and Finance, and one for Communications and Public Relations. I knew my options were endless, but I did not know how it was possible for someone my age to choose their future. I knew that I enjoyed math, so two options came to mind. I could follow in my sister Karalyn and my parent’s footsteps and attend Bentley University to study Business or I could study Math Education. For almost a year, I went back and fourth between the two. I must have toured upwards of twenty schools. By the fall of my senior year, I narrowed my list to 13. The schools ranged in distance from Montreal, Canada to Elon, North Carolina. Some schools strong in business, some strong in education, and others had both. The first school I heard back from was Southern New Hampshire University. My parents told me I would end up going there, but I had my doubts. My whole life I have lived in Southern New Hampshire. I wanted to leave my comfort zone. In the months to follow, I received an acceptance letter to every school I applied to and my decision was no easier. The spring of my senior year, I applied to the 3 Year Honors Business Administration Program at SNHU. I decided if I got accepted it was meant to be and if I did not it was not. Since the program director was aware of my indecision, I was put on the wait list. I began looking into education programs else where. A week before the May 1st deadline, I had made what I thought was my final decision: Curry College. My mother, however, was not as enthused by the program and dragged me to SNHU one last time. We spoke with a member of the Education department and I knew this was where I was meant to be. After finalizing my decision, the 3 Year Honors director reached out to me and offered me a spot in the program. By this time, I knew education was where I was meant to be, so i I declined his offer. I am now an Elementary and Special Education major with a minor in Middle School Math Education. 

    Throughout my life, I was impacted by many of my teachers. They helped me grow academically, socially, spiritually, and emotionally. Without the teachers I had, I would not be where I am today. I want to be able to make a difference in the lives of the children I teach. I believe that the hands-on program here at SNHU will better prepare me for my future than any other program I looked into. In my freshman year alone, I spent over 35 hours observing classrooms. That is unheard of at other schools. My goal after graduation is to work for Teach for America. I feel that the opportunities I received in my first year alone are already helping me to work toward my goal. In addition, to the education program, the alternative break program is also making that possible. Over Christmas break, I will be traveling to the Dominican Republic for two weeks to teach in an orphanage. This is an incredible opportunity that I may not have had If I had chosen to attend another university.

   Many aspects of my education shaped my beliefs and helped bring me to where I am today. I have a desire to make a difference and cannot think of a better place to start than at SNHU. Through the classes I take here at SNHU, such as EDU 235, I get one step closer to my dream every day.