Q. What does this position entail?
A. I teach Principles of Engineering to sophomores. I facilitate a classroom that challenges students to continually hone their interpersonal skills, creative abilities and problem-solving skills based upon engineering concepts. It also allows students to develop strategies to enable and direct their own learning. This course introduces students to engineering concepts they will encounter in post-secondary engineering education.
Q. What do you love best about the work you do?
A. My favorite thing about teaching is opening students’ eyes to new possibilities. I get the feeling that I have truly reached a student when he or she takes an idea that was sparked in my course and continues to enhance that idea using the skills they have gained from my course.
Q. What aspects of your Appalachian education best prepared you for your career?
A. The experiences I gained through being an active participant in my classes. This includes working with the local community, representing the university at competitions and conferences, as well as having a close working relationship with my classmates and professors.
Q. Why did you choose Appalachian as a prospective student?
A. I initially chose Appalachian State because of my experiences with athletic camps that were held by the university during the summer. As I looked closer, I was drawn in by the Construction Management program.
I have always had a love for emerging technology. I initially majored in Construction Management in college and through that I discovered Technology Education. After learning that I could use my skills to educate instead of only in the business world, I changed my major to Education.
Teaching is important to me because I realized how much I didn’t know. When this hit me it made me want to share what I could with those that would listen so that they wouldn’t come to the same realization I did. I specifically wanted to educate student about technology. I hope that I can allow students to see technology as a tool and not just a form of entertainment.
Q. Why should today’s students interested in your field choose Appalachian, as opposed to another college or university?
A. App State has high standards in the Reich College of Education. This ensures that students will gain the skills necessary to prepare them for a job in education after successfully completing the course of study.