I am a senior studying liberal studies with a concentration in special education. I am partaking in the five-year master’s program. I knew from a very young age that I wanted to be a teacher and work with children. When I came to Longwood for freshman orientation and learned about the SPED program, I knew it would be what I would pursue.

In the summer of 2018, I conducted a school-aged summer camp at the GreenHouse Christian Learning Center, a local childcare center and preschool in Waynesboro Virginia, where I grew up. The camp took place five days a week for children ranging from upcoming kindergarten through fifth grade. I planned daily activities, crafts, bridge activities, bible lessons, field trips, etc. pertaining to a set weekly theme.

I also substitute for Fuqua schools. I have worked primarily with the kindergarten/first-grade classes and have worked with a sixth grade English class.

Through my time at Longwood, I’ve held several leadership positions that have enabled me to gain valuable leadership and communication skills as well as organization and planning. Most valuable would be when I served as a Peer Mentor during the summer of 2017, through the fall semester. As a Peer Mentor, during the summer I spent several weeks with a selected group of peer mentors conducting freshman orientations which entailed speaking to students and parents about the university and leading students through the university and different sessions throughout the day. During the fall, I worked diligently with a Longwood professor to aid incoming freshmen in acclimating to college.

Through the course of ENGL 400, I have become more aware of how the language used in a piece of writing can specifically cater to a specific audience and purpose. The varying activities, journals, and assignments have enabled growth in my writing skills, particularly with word choice.