Briana Chu ’12

"Coming from a small high school, I was looking for a college with a small campus. When I took my first tour of UNE, I knew that it was the school for me. The small and welcoming community of UNE made me feel right at home. The beauty of campus, the academic programs, and the friendliness of the faculty, staff and students are some of the reasons why I chose UNE.

"As for my major, I have always known that I wanted to be an elementary school teacher. My interest in teaching started when I was in elementary school. I volunteered in a first grade teacher's classroom during recess, helping her assemble bulletin boards, organize classroom material, and grade student work. My passion for teaching grew from there and has been a dream of mine ever since.

"I love the welcoming community of UNE. The Education and Psychology Departments are exceptional. The professors are knowledgeable about their content areas, care about their students, and are extremely helpful... Having a minor in Psychology has helped me make some interdisciplinary connections with my major and will help me in my future career as an elementary teacher. 

"As an Elementary Education major, I have had a 30-hour field study in an elementary school classroom every semester. Although part of the field study includes observing my supervising teacher, I have taught various lessons to students in grades 1 through 5.

"During one of my field studies, I was able to use my knowledge from both my major and my minor to observe and discuss classroom management strategies. I was able to use my knowledge of child development when observing and explaining student behavior in the classroom. In addition to my academic field studies, I have sought additional professional development. I have presented a science lesson to elementary school students at Family Science Night at Hall Elementary School in Portland, Maine."