New Orleans Trip

Cross Cultural Skills - Signature Event

On May 16, 2017 me and seven other students from the College of Education left for an amazing trip to explore the sights, sounds and schools of New Orleans, Louisiana. On this 5-day cultural immersion trip I was able to understand how Hurricane Katrina impacted schools, experience the rich culture in the French Quarter, take a river boat cruise on the Mississippi River, and learn about the making of floats at Mardi Gras World.

New Orleans culture played a very important role on the school systems. While visiting the various K-8 schools on the trip, I found that every school offered specialty classes for art, dance and even karate. I think that these special classes allow the lively culture of New Orleans to be preserved. Not only do these classes keep the students interested in learning, but they also allow for students to be creative in more than just their basic subjects. These classes create a more diverse population within students in the schools that we observed. One of the main things I learned about on this trip was how charters are becoming the main schooling system in the area. I learned about the different schools' performance grades and which schools were considered "failing" and by what means. Before going on this trip, I didn't know that there was such a problem with the school systems in New Orleans and I had no idea that there was so much research happening to help them improve.

My two favorite parts of the trip were exploring the French Quarter and attending Encore Academy's Family Friday. Exploring the French Quarter was such an amazing experience. Every corner you turned there was music, dancing, juggling, or some sort of entertainment and of course Cafe Du Monde with the most delicious beignets! Walking through the French Quarter was very valuable to our trip because we were able to fully engage in and appreciate the culture in the area. I was able to understand the effects that Katrina had on the city as I saw many homeless families with their pets. I even met one man who walked alongside a dog he had rescued during the storm. At Encore Academy, the students put on a performance for their families which we were fortunate enough to experience as well. Students in grades K-8 were able to show how they have improved through performances of music, dance, visual arts, and poetry. I really enjoyed seeing how the students were so passionate about what they were doing.

This trip has definitely given me so much to be thankful for as I look back on my own education. I think that going on a cultural immersion trip such as this one is extremely beneficial for future educators because it allows us to think about many different aspects of schooling systems. I was able to understand how the aspects of transportation, funding, testing and performance grades all pay important roles in school systems. I think that learning about all of these different views will help me in the future when it is my turn to find a school that I will call home. This trip also influenced me to look further into Education Policy and truly help make a positive impact on our school systems in North Carolina.

Special thanks to Dr. Regina Gavin Williams and Dr. Tiffany Davis for helping making this trip a fantastic experience!

Henderson Collegiate Campus Visit

Community Engagement - Engagement Event

On April 27th, 2017 from 11:30-1:00 p.m, I was able to represent the College of Education by giving students from Henderson Collegiate High School a sneak peak of NC State's amazing campus. I led a campus tour and then participated in a student question and answer panel. These students were also given the chance to explore Centennial Campus and see the outstanding Hunt Library. As sophomore's in high school I was truly amazed by how determined they were for college. All of the students asked really great questions about scholarships, honors and scholars programs, and majors offered at State. These students were all very kind and respectful; they expressed their appreciation by shaking their hands in the air instead of clapping and making noise. Some students even shook my hand before they left. I was very impressed! I am so thankful to have been asked to participate in this experience because I love showing off our amazing school and encouraging people to attend. Also it reminded me that no matter what age you are, it is important to learn more about colleges and universities in order to help motivate students to further their education. Thank you Henderson Collegiate for allowing me to engage with these amazing students!

Hanukkah Mini-Lesson

Cross Cultural Skills - Engagement Event

Happy Holidays! On December 16, 2016 from 1:30-2:15 p.m, I was given the opportunity to explain the details of  Hanukkah to a 3rd grade class at Millis Road Elementary School in Jamestown, NC. Growing up, I have celebrated Hanukkah every year because my father is Jewish. It was always interesting learning more and more about the holiday each year as I grew older, and I am thrilled that I was able to teach others about it this year! The students in the class were very eager to learn about Hanukkah. I started off by explaining that the Jews celebrated Hanukkah because of a great miracle of their oil lasting eight nights after a major victory over their Greek-Syrian oppressors. I then explained to the students the importance of the menorah, what the tallest candle resembles, and how to light the candles. 

Lastly, I explained the game of dreidel and let them get in groups to play together. When it was time to clean up, I passed out a small dreidel, instructions, and supplies for each of them to take home. The students seemed to enjoy this very much! To wrap up my time with the class, I allowed them to ask questions in order to clarify some of the things I had explained.  At times during this lesson, it was difficult to explain the details of the holiday in terms that the students would understand. To overcome this challenge, I attempted to draw some similarities and differences between Hanukkah and Christmas. One student asked if people who celebrate Hanukkah get presents. I was able to respond by saying that instead of getting presents, the Jews received gifts of money called gelt. Although it was a bit of a challenge to allow the students to fully understand, I feel that this experience has helped me grow as a future educator. I had a great time working with these students and I am very thankful to Mrs. Shields at Millis Road Elementary for giving me this opportunity!