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Get to know three future educators at Concordia University
Concordia University Ann Arbor’s School of Education has several different routes you can take to earn your teaching degree. This could be getting a degree to teach elementary education, secondary education, special education, and more. The following students are getting their degrees in different areas of education, and they’re from all over the country. If you’d like to know what our school of education is like from a student’s perspective, read below to learn about the future educators of Concordia University.
Kimberly Mills (’22)
Kimberly Mills is a senior from Orange County, California, and is on the women’s hockey team at Concordia University. Kimberly is getting her degree to teach early childhood education with a minor in psychology. We asked Kimberly a few questions. Her responses are written below in italics.
How did you hear about Concordia University?
I heard about Concordia through Maria Barlow. She recruited me for the hockey team during my senior year of high school.
What made you decide you wanted to come to Concordia?
I went to a small Lutheran high school and really enjoyed it. Concordia offered a similar experience, so I knew I would do well here. Also, coming here offered me a chance to continue my hockey career.
How is Concordia different from other schools you were potentially interested in?
Concordia is different because it’s smaller and it’s Lutheran, which is what made me interested, even though I was looking at other schools. Also, Concordia is a lot closer to bigger cities, and it’s in a big college town, whereas some schools were farther away or they weren’t in ideal locations for me.
If you could tell any future students something about Concordia’s school of education what would that be?
Leah Quinlan (’23)
Leah Quinlan is a junior from Canonsburg, Pennsylvania. She came to CUAA to be a part of the wind ensemble. She also works at St. Paul Lutheran School in Ann Arbor, and she’s involved with the Church Workers Club. Leah is getting her degree to teach Secondary Education English. Learn more about Leah’s journey here through the questions below. Her answers are typed in italics.
How did you hear about Concordia University?
My older sister went to Concordia, so the school has been on my radar for a long time. I was in first grade when she started here, so I’ve been familiar with Concordia since I was a kid.
What made you decide you wanted to come to Concordia?
My mom always said that she knew that I was going to end up here. While I wanted to prove her wrong, I knew she was right as soon as I came to visit. I always loved the atmosphere on campus because people just seemed kind and Christ-centered, and that was the atmosphere that I knew I needed at the college level. I knew I made the right decision at orientation the summer before I started when I met the English professors. They were intense, but I knew that they were going to teach me in a way that mattered to me.
How is Concordia different from other schools you were potentially interested in?
Honestly, I didn’t even visit any other schools. A lot of my friends from high school went to big state schools. I knew from their stories that I would be miserable at a giant school. Personally, I wanted to go somewhere where I would recognize at least some of the faces I walked by on my way to class. Also, I didn’t want to worry about getting lost on a big campus, and I wanted to know the professors and have them actually know me, too. Concordia was all that and more to me. Because it’s Lutheran, it also catered to my specific beliefs, which is culminating in my getting my Lutheran Teaching Diploma. This is something I couldn’t do at any other school in the area.
If you could tell any future students something about Concordia’s school of education what would that be?
My advice would be to learn time management as soon as you can, and with that, don’t be scared to say no to things. That’s something that I’ve learned the hard way, and I’m still learning. Making time to take care of yourself is the key to success. If you can’t take care of yourself, then you’re going to struggle to take care of your schoolwork, relationships, and job. Time management is hard to learn though, so when you struggle with it (or really anything else), find a trusted person to talk to about it, like a School of Ed professor. In my experience, the School of Ed professors really care about their students and want them to succeed. If you need to sit down with someone and talk about what’s going on in your life, a School of Ed professor is always a good choice.
Emily Greer (’24)
Emily Greer is a sophomore from Columbia, Missouri, and is on the women’s hockey team at Concordia University. She is getting her education degree to go into elementary education, as well as special education. We asked Emily a few questions. Check out her answers below in italics.
How did you hear ab0ut Concordia University?
Coach Barlow reached out to me about coming to play hockey, so that was how I learned about the university.
What made you decide you wanted to come to Concordia?
I decided I wanted to come to Concordia because I wanted to continue playing hockey. (I’ve played since I was 6.) Another reason was because Concordia offers the small class sizes that allow for better relationships with your teachers.
How is Concordia different from other schools you were potentially interested in?
When picking a school, it was mainly between two schools for me: Concordia and a large state school. At the larger state school, the class sizes were huge. Personally, I do better and focus better in smaller classrooms.
If you could tell any future students something about Concordia’s school of education what would that be?
For students considering the Concordia School of Education, I’d tell them that it’s really a great program. The professors want to see you succeed and will help you to make sure you do. They provide so many opportunities to get experience in the field.
Do you want to know more?
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