Editor’s Note: As Commencement approaches, we are featuring some of our Neag School Class of 2020 graduating seniors over the coming days.

Major: Secondary English Education and English

Extracurriculars: Co-vice president, UConn Future Educators; tutor, Writing Center; peer mentor, First Year Experience Program; tutor, Windham High School Community Outreach; intern, Connecticut Writing Project.

Hometown: Windsor Locks, Conn.

What do you aspire to be? Throughout my time at UConn, I’ve tried to pursue every opportunity possible that would help me achieve my aspirations: to be the best secondary English educator that I can be for my future students. In order to do so, I aspire to be a teacher who focuses on making meaningful connections with my students and emphasizes the importance of including engaging and socially conscious content.

Who is your favorite professor? While I’ve enjoyed many of the classes that I’ve taken here at UConn, I really enjoyed the two education courses that I took with Ellen Agnello. In each of these classes, we were able to explore concrete strategies for promoting all students’ engagement with literacy, no matter their histories with reading and writing. Further, Ellen herself was always a joy to learn from, as she was always so prepared for class with creative activities that we could participate in from the perspective of students.

“I aspire to be a teacher who focuses on making meaningful connections with my students and emphasizes the importance of including engaging and socially conscious content.”

What did you accomplish that you’re most proud of? I would say that the accomplishment I am most proud of was my acceptance into Neag! As everyone knows, the time leading up to that moment can be ridden with stress … Without having been accepted into the program, I would not be where I am right now in student teaching and would not have had the plethora of classroom experience that I have had from our observations as well. Additionally, I would also say that I am proud I have increased the time I put into maintaining and strengthening relationships with those around me — especially with those in my cohort!

What do you plan to do after you graduate? After I graduate, I will be returning back to campus to complete my master’s degree. After this, I hope to begin working in a school as soon as possible!

How has UConn prepared you for your future career? UConn has prepared me for my career as a teacher in terms of both the academic experiences the school offers and the numerous opportunities there are to get involved in school environments. The English courses here at UConn have prepared me for engaging in and facilitating conversations about important ideas in literature, and many of the education courses — alongside the extracurriculars I have been involved in — have given me the tools that I need to encourage creativity in the classroom. I know that as a teacher, I’ll be able to use what I’ve learned about how to stray away from more conventional conceptions of text to incorporate multiple mediums, genres, and perspectives in the classroom, which will ensure that every one of my students will be able to access and engage with the material.

What advice would you give to a student who is just starting out? For students who are just starting out in Neag, I would recommend getting as involved as you can in the school environments that you’re placed in right from the start. Further, I would also give the following advice: speak out in class about your experiences, and then take this a step further and identify why your beliefs may differ or compare with those of the person next to you. Always keep an open mind, and remain positive!