When I decided I was ready to seek an advanced degree, I knew I wasn’t interested in on-line courses. I wanted face-to-face interaction with professors and classmates and that’s what UNF has provided in its master’s program in educational leadership.

The master’s program at UNF has proven to be a wonderful building block as I develop my education career. The classes have been thought provoking, rewarding and applicable to what I’m doing every day in my classroom and at my school. I have experienced an excellent balance of foundation, theory and real-life knowledge. I appreciate the convenience of evening classes so that I can teach full-time and continue to advance my career.

The most transformational aspect of UNF has been the impact the professors have had on me. It has been transformational because it’s forced me to think about the type of leader I want to be, as well as how I might react in certain school situations. In some ways, the professors have been very empowering. They encourage me to think and act like a leader. Now more than ever, I feel confident I can make a difference in education.

My philosophy of teaching — developed throughout my seven years of teaching experience in Wisconsin and Florida — revolves around a central idea of instilling a love of learning in each of my students. My commitment to my students is to leave them at the end of the year feeling proud, confident and successful. If my students have learned to be independent thinkers and problem solvers, then I know I have fulfilled my duty as a teacher. I believe this is one reason I was selected as the 2010 Cedar Hills Elementary Teacher of the Year. I also recently won the Gladys Roddenberry Graduate Fellowship for Teaching Excellence. It has been an honor for me to receive these awards and they have boosted my desire to pursue educational leadership.

I believe my educational experience at UNF will set me up to be an effective and successful leader. The master’s program is motivating me to continue with an educational career so I can have a positive impact on the lives of students for generations to come.