Words from our Alumni

SOE has been supportive throughout my four years, but especially during my junior and senior year, when COVID-19 struck. The pandemic created a lot of chaos and stress during my study abroad semester and the start of my senior year, but my advisor, professors, and fellow HDFS students were there for me and helped me prepare for the rest of the semester.

Every professor I have had in the UNC School of Education has always offered themselves as a person to talk to about my own career goals, plans, and anxieties surrounding them. I have always felt like I have a team behind me that is excited for my career development and wants to help me make a difference in the world.

The school has pushed me to expand my knowledge and become more well-rounded through the HDFS course requirements such as educational policy, social justice in education, and adolescent development. It has also provided me with research opportunities through Dr. Espelage's lab that allowed me to explore my personal research interests and solidify a career outlook for myself.

Our stories are valuable. When we listen to each other, we are blessed with the opportunity to educate ourselves on how to be better, more loving people. Story-telling helps us to create a better world. I would love to see people value education, educators, change-agents and the incredible work they offer to our society.

The UNC School of Ed has something for everyone. Whether you’re looking to take a class to fill up your schedule on a topic your interested in, or applying to a program that focuses on working closely with other people and developing you as a young professional, the School of ED can offer that. I’ve been surrounded by people who are so passionate in so many different areas, and my professors have really embraced these passions to allow us to be confident in ourselves and our abilities to change the world.

The School of Education has taught me so much over these four years but the most important thing I've learned is to never stop learning. All of the professors, administration, and students in this school have a passion for learning and it shows in everything they do.