Tanya Blowey ’11

"Once I found UNE, I knew it would be a match. It was a small school right on the ocean and it offered everything I was looking for in a school. When it came time to choose a major, I knew I was in love with the ocean and thought I wanted to study Marine Biology. However, my love for kids and learning quickly took a strong hold of my heart and led me to choose Elementary Education. I still wanted to be involved in the sciences, though, so chose to minor in Biology.

"The Education Department at UNE is really one of a kind. The professors are so sweet, well versed in their field, and willing to help you with anything you can think of. Education classes are always the ones that I enjoy the most and have the most fun in.

"Because the program is smaller than others, you really get to know all of the students in your classes. They aren't just faces that sit in the desks next to you; they become friends. At the same time, you are not just another face in the crowd to your professors. They genuinely care about how you are doing in the program and work to challenge you and help you meet your goal of being a teacher.

"Because the Education Department requires clinical observation hours for majors, I was always visiting the local elementary schools. The time that I spent there was invaluable. The only way to learn how to be a good teacher is to observe what good teachers do, and to teach yourself. I also spent my 2009 Spring Break in Camden, New Jersey, volunteering in a school. The experience that I had there was unlike any other I have had. It opened my eyes and allowed me to see the world in a completely different way, which is only going to help me in the future. The Education Club was another place that was constantly adding to my professional development whether through the teacher workshops or programs we put on ourselves."