Alumni

I am a Language Arts teacher at Mountain View Middle School in Cumberland Valley School District, and I just graduated from Messiah in May '23!

Messiah prepared me for my teaching career in so many ways. Through Messiah, I was able to grow so much during my time student-teaching as I learned what it meant to be a full-time teacher and the responsibilities that it requires. I also learned how to write a very thorough lesson plan, which really helped me to think more intentionally about my lesson plans as a teacher.

The Teacher Education Program at Messiah was phenomenal; I felt truly prepared to teach when I graduated, which was such a good feeling since I was hired at Mountain View three months before graduation. TEP also taught me how to handle many different student situations, and has prepared me for some of the obstacles that I have encountered.

My favorite part about being a Messiah student was the independence that I grew into from freshman year to senior year, as well as the relationships I formed with my English and Education professors. But most importantly, I am just very thankful that my studies at Messiah helped me land my dream job!

I could not imagine working anywhere but “the sweetest place on earth,” or the Milton Hershey School. I am currently a 7th grade Social Studies Teacher at MHS’s Catherine Hall.

Though I am early in my career, I know that Messiah’s TEP had provided me the connections, resources, and opportunities to be an effective educator. The professors at Messiah guided me through diverse experiences and encouraged me to take chances to improve not only teaching skills, but also my resume.

Messiah taught me how to share the love of learning with my students. It was at Messiah where I was able to take classes catered to my interests and goals. These classes were my favorite things at Messiah because they helped me fulfill my dream: to become a Social Studies Teacher.

I am an Elementary Music teacher at Thunder Hill Elementary in Howard County, Maryland.

Leaving Messiah, I felt confident that I could teach general, instrumental or vocal music. The Teacher Education Program worked closely with the Music Department to find placements that encompassed each field and every grade level. Despite spending the early part of my time in the program during the pandemic , I continued to be provided opportunities to work with students including English Language Learners which has helped me immensely in a school with a large number of ELL’s.  

I also had opportunities during my time in the program to work with many students who have special needs, making me comfortable in helping these learners find success in my current Music classroom.  The Music Department at Messiah in partnership with the Teacher Education Program have given all of the necessary resources to help me have a successful start to my music teaching career.

I loved the community that surrounded me during my time at Messiah. I loved having personal connections, not only with my peers, but also with my professors. I always knew there was someone who could help me when I felt frustrated or overwhelmed with classes, field experiences, and even student teaching.

I know that the faith centered community and classes have given me strength to persevere during the challenging first year of teaching.  I know I can thank God for the rewarding days, and ask for His help during the tough ones!  I loved the many opportunities I had to share my musical gifts with the community in and around Messiah, and look forward to my students sharing their gifts with their communities in the future. 

Messiah’s education program equipped me to get hired at Winding Creek Elementary School as a Learning Support teacher.

Sadie is a Health & Physical Education teacher at Mechanicsburg Area Senior High School. Sadie says, "It has been so enjoyable going into school each day knowing that I am offering my students a safe and fun environment to learn applicable life skills." 

As I went through each semester in Messiah's Teacher Education Program, I constantly found myself so grateful for the abundance of opportunities I had to be within the classroom (or gym) context. Observing and teaching alongside experienced, passionate teachers in local districts was by far one of the most beneficial and enjoyable parts of the program. There is so much you learn through practice and feedback that cannot be taught by a book or presentation alone. I felt as though Messiah supported and prepared me well for things like PRAXIS certification exams, interviewing, and everything else that comes as one transitions out of college and into the world of professional teaching. 

As I have entered into my own teaching career, I have been thankful for the experiences I gained through the Teacher Education Program, the professors that guided and encouraged me along the way, and the caring and passionate network of fellow professionals I now have because of Messiah's program.

Right after graduation I got a Job at a school district near my home… North Hunterdon/Voorhees School District in New Jersey. I work at the high school as a Family and Consumer Sciences Teacher and have the opportunity to teach both Culinary and Sewing classes. 

I am very excited for my sewing classes this semester… especially because of my sewing class I took at Messiah. I learned numerous projects that I can use in my classroom!

I am so grateful for Messiah because I felt prepared going into my job. While sitting through new teacher orientation much of the information was a repeat of what I learned at Messiah. This was such a great feeling, and it reduced my fear of starting my career. One of my favorite things about being in Messiah’s Teacher Education Program was building a connection with my professors. I knew that they wanted me to succeed and would help me get there. I am so glad I chose to go to Messiah University for Family and Consumer Sciences Education. I felt a part of a family while away from my family at home. 

Abigail has been teaching math at Manheim Township High School since 2023, after teaching for two years at Northern High School.

I have loved getting to connect with these students and see them grow in their mathematical, critical thinking, and communication skills. Looking back on my time at Messiah, I appreciate that I had the opportunity to learn about cultivating a healthy learning environment. The words from my textbooks and lectures have come to life as I have seen how developing good rapport with students and setting up consistent routines helps students achieve. Once students feel cared for and comfortable, they are much more open to doing hard work. One student told me, “I typically don’t like math, but I like you Miss Mitchell, so I’m going to learn the things you ask me to learn.”

Since I was a mathematics with teaching certification major at Messiah, I was able to learn from both the mathematics faculty and education faculty, which allowed me to be fully prepared with both content knowledge and pedagogical knowledge. I’m thankful that I was able to form relationships with my professors and learn from their personal experiences in teaching. For example, Professor Lehman and I set up a practicum during my senior year where we met weekly to discuss teaching practices, ways to promote excellence in students, and how to make math accessible to all. These personal connections helped me to feel like I had a support system as I prepared for interviews and eventually the first week of school. I feel like I can always reach out to those professors if I have questions or need advice.

My current position is as a 4th grade ELA teacher at Lincoln School, an international Christian school located in Guadalajara, Mexico.

As a teacher, I have already been able to use my pedagogical and behavior management knowledge I learned from Messiah in teaching my fourth grade students about the English language. I taught my students Phonics and specific vocabulary through the use of crafts, manipulatives and different games. I am so privileged that the Lord has offered this opportunity to me to teach in Mexico as it has opened my eyes to see how big our God truly is.

During my time at Messiah, the professors in the Education department gave me so many resources, options for teaching, as well as thorough lesson planning tips to guide me as I prepared to start my journey as a teacher. Their commitment to teaching me and my fellow classmates how to be teachers was shaped by their desire to honor the Lord in their own teaching. This, I know, was key in showing me how I should go out to where the Lord has called me because His plans for me are far better than any plans I could make for myself. Messiah taught me to love my profession and to do it out of service to the Lord. In addition to that, Messiah taught me to love my students just as Jesus does so that they might see Jesus through me. This is the mission that the Lord has called me to and I am so thankful for the support that I have had at Messiah in helping to pave the way for me.