Whether it's growing alongside her peers in her cohort, ushering a show at Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, patronizing local businesses, or exploring her passion of special education, Sophomore Sara Striepling values the community she has found in Champaign-Urbana. Most of all, she appreciates the balanced life as a College of Education student, remarking "It's great to have the opportunities and experiences that come with going to a large university while still having small and personal classes."
A little bit about Sara:
Q: Where is home for you?
A: Grayslake, Illinois.
Q: What is your year and major?
A: I'm a sophomore and Special Education major.
Q: What do you enjoy about the campus experience, so far?
A: I really love the Champaign-Urbana community. There are so many great places to eat and a lot of things to do to keep busy. I miss ushering shows at Krannert and can't wait until it's safe to go to shows again.
Q: How did you know you wanted to go into the field of education?
A: I didn't know that I wanted to go in to education until my senior year of high school. I had worked at an after-school program and a summer camp for children with disabilities and knew I wanted a career working with people with disabilities. Special education seemed like the best fit and so far I have loved everything about the program.
Q: What do you enjoy about the College of Education?
A: I enjoy that most of the classes in the college of education are small. It's great to have the opportunities and experiences that come with going to a large university while still having small and personal classes. This semester I started taking all of my classes with my cohort and it's been amazing to meet the people that I will take the rest of my classes with.
Q: Do you have a favorite professor or course? Why?
A: My favorite course I've taken so far is MATH 103. Math has always been my least favorite subject so I really liked learning about new and different ways to do elementary math that would make it more enjoyable and understandable for my future students.
Q: What is a fun fact about yourself?
A: love to bake! Once we are back in-person I'll probably bring some baked goods to the College of Education to share on occasion so keep an eye out for me.
Q: Tell us about any research you've done and the mentorship you've received from your instructors.
A: I helped create demographic tables and coded interviews for a study about the challenges that military families with children with disabilities face.
Q: Tell us about your future career plans after graduating and why you want to pursue that field.
A: Currently, I think I would want to work with high school or transition students. I would love to be a part of student's lives as they grow in to adulthood and help them be as independent as possible.
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