Academic Enrichment

Academic enrichment is something I feel very dedicated and passionate about. I have chosen to pursue Special Education as my major, and I plan to plan my curriculum for the next seven semesters around becoming the best educator I can be. I’m most excited for the teaching field experiences that Ohio State offers to undergraduates, and I think they will set me up for a lot of valuable hands-on learning experiences. In conjunction with this major, I have already taken three years of American Sign Language, and I hope to continue to learn more by taking more ASL courses at Ohio State in the future.  

This semester I was able to attend a Special Education Guest Speaker event, virtually led by Dr. Alana Telesman. Dr. Telesman discussed her background in education, her time in school in preparation to be a special educator, as well as her past and present research projects. It was incredibly inspiring to learn from someone who is so educated and passionate about education and was able to also answer our questions about her experiences, giving us advice for our future teaching endeavors. One critical learning moment from this event that I will take with me through my years as a student was, when I asked her about her experience of getting access to necessary support systems in underprivileged schools and areas, she advised that we make lasting connections with our peers studying special education, as well as our teachers while we’re in school, and to make sure we stay in touch. She said that one of her most valuable resources when she was working in underprivileged and underfunded schools was support and advice from her peers.