Anna, a 2017 Bethany graduate, is an English instructor at Belle Plaine Senior High School in Belle Plaine, Minnesota.
WHAT YOU DO • • • I currently teach ninth and eleventh grade English Language Arts and serve as an academic advisor for the class of 2021.
WHAT INSPIRES YOU • • • I believe that education is essential in the pursuit of success and happiness. I love that when I set foot in my classroom, I am empowering my students to live the lives they want.
HOW YOU WANT TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE • • • Long term, I plan to obtain a terminal degree in the field of education and serve as a principal in an urban school.
HOW BETHANY HAS PREPARED YOU • • • Bethany prepared me in so many ways for entering my field of choice. Between having small class sizes, dedicated and approachable professors, numerous clinical opportunities, and access to the Center for Urban Teaching, I was able to develop my craft and build a professional network. Actually, it was through student teaching at Belle Plaine that I was offered my current position.
WHAT YOU REMEMBER MOST ABOUT BETHANY • • • The best part of Bethany is the relationships. Knowing that I had so many people to turn to for advice and encouragement made the long assignments and late nights so much more bearable. I am confident that both the professional relationships that I built with professors and the friendships that I enjoyed with fellow students will continue for many years.
ADVICE FOR CURRENT STUDENTS • • • Embrace your time at Bethany. It is so easy to count down the days until Christmas break or summer or graduation, but doing so makes it harder to enjoy the little things. It’s great to be excited about the things to come and yes, you’ll be a Viking forever, but you won’t always be on campus. So enjoy it.