Ashley Walley ’11

"My experiences throughout high school shaped my decision to be an Elementary Education major. I babysat throughout high school for my neighbors, I taught the younger children at my Tae Kwon Do studio, and I mentored students at the middle school. I decided to apply to UNE with a declared major and I haven’t looked back!

"I loved how I was able to find my own niche at UNE. Although UNE is a smaller school, there are so many opportunities for students to take advantage of around campus. I was fortunate and started and maintained a meaningful co-curricular experience. 

"Student teaching is essentially the capstone for my program. It has allowed me to take all the theories I have learned and put them into practice in a classroom with real students. Through my student teaching experience, I have been able to learn and grow in the field of education as well as network with administrators and teachers in the area. 

"In addition to student teaching, being a Student Involvement Intern has played a pivotal role in shaping and molding what I would like to do after finishing my undergraduate degree. Working in the Student Involvement Intern position has allowed me to gain pre-professional experience working with both peers and supervisors in the student affairs field. This internship has broadened my horizons and exposed me to the field that I am now hoping to go into in the near future... I am finishing up my second year in this internship. After the first year, since my supervisors knew I wanted to go into the field, they catered to my needs and molded my experiences this year to give me even more pre-professional and even para-professional experiences in student involvement and clubs/organizations."