You could say that Emily Hoisington's motivation to teach came from her sister. (She's an elementary school teacher.) But you could also say that Emily has been drawn to this role since childhood. With the help of her professors, she's getting ready to be a superb teacher for young children.
When she first came to the College, Emily saw herself as a secondary education major. Then, as a freshman, she founded a nonprofit – Charleston Hope – which works in Title I elementary schools to ensure that students in those schools get at least one gift over the winter holidays. (Most recently, her organization wrapped and donated nearly 3,000 presents to students at five area schools.) That initiative gave Emily firsthand exposure to the youngest students and she quickly discovered her true passion. That's when she switched majors.
"I was amazed at how supportive everyone was. I struggled with the decision to switch majors, but the faculty and the administrators in teacher education were always there for me. I actually met with the dean to discuss Charleston Hope, and somehow she knew about me wanting to change majors even though I hadn't mentioned it. I can't say enough about the support that you get."
As part of her preparation for teaching, Emily took classes in childhood development, language development and even some in anthropology and sociology. "Those classes tied into a lot of what I'll need to know as a teacher."
In a class entitled Integrating Technology, she wrote a paper about the use of tablets and computers in the education system. "That was a really useful course. My paper explored what it might be like for teachers in the future when presumably we'll be teaching students how to write without the use of pens and paper. I think I'll be ready for that moment, and I know I'm getting great preparation for that role in this major."