- Name:
- Samantha Walters
- Major:
- Elementary Education
- Minor:
- Inclusion and Early Childhood
- Year:
- Senior
- Home:
- Wausau, WI
The elementary education program here is a great one. The school really keeps up on the changes in the education field and relays them to us. They keep us up to date about the changes in curriculum, the requirements for educators after graduation, and opportunities in our field that we might not have looked into otherwise. They make sure we are up to date with technology such as web design for our future classrooms, and other programs such as publishing or editing programs that will be helpful to activities in the classroom in the future. I’ve had some amazing professors over my years here. One professor that I really learned a lot from and enjoyed her classes is Rea Kirk. She has a lot of useful knowledge in the special education area and considering that that is my minor, I was very lucky to have numerous classes with her. My advisor, Carol Lange, was also helpful throughout my career and helped to make sure I was headed in the right direction for the future. She pointed me to some interesting opportunities that I really enjoyed.
The mind is like any other area in the body and when it doesn’t get the workout it needs, down the road it will be a lot harder to retain the knowledge necessary for everyday living. I not only learn through academics, but I also learn about myself, the people around me, things that are happening in government that will affect me, new technology, and many other aspects of life. For me, a day without learning is one that is not complete. That’s what I live by.
By luck I became involved in rugby. I had been interested in the sport but never had the guts to actually go for it. I was out running one day and the rugby team was practicing and randomly asked if I wanted to join practice. So I did, and I loved it. The people that I’ve been able to meet from other schools and connect with in different areas has really helped me to broaden my horizons and gain friends. We compete with schools around the state and are trying to really grow as a club. Bowling has been in my life since I was in fourth grade and is one thing that I can continue for years to come. With the club on campus, I had the opportunity to attend the National Tournament which you need an invitation to attend. It was such a rush to see all the teams we were competing against and see how the other programs are run through their universities.
I’ve had the opportunity to work with many administrators, students and performers working for Campus Programming and Relations (CPR) and I think it has really opened my eyes to what our campus has to offer. Other eye opening experiences were being in Jamaica and Texas, working and teaching the children there. In Jamaica I had two weeks to take second grade children and work with them on reading skills. We worked on identifying letters and sounds as well as working on how a book is read and how to follow along. Seeing the look of accomplishment and pride when one of the children understood something is one of the most rewarding feelings I have ever had. In Texas, I had the opportunity to fulfill my early childhood student teaching requirement. I worked with 4 and 5 year olds for two weeks on social skills, day to day tasks, learning to write correctly, and just giving them extra attention. These are experiences that really made me feel like I was making the right decision for my career.