- Year: Senior
- Major/Minor: Double Major: History Education and Middle School Social Studies
- Quirky Fact: I’ve been to a Bigfoot conference
- Favorite Food/Drink to Get on Campus: The F’Real Shakes from Fast Track when they had those
- Favorite Book/Movie/Podcast/TV Series: Lore– The Podcast
- Favorite Campus Event: Anything the RA’s or RCC put on
Q&A
Why did you choose Murray State?
Originally, Murray State wasn’t even on my radar, until I had a theater teacher who graduated from here bring us to Murray to watch a play. I really liked the campus, so I looked into it more. I really liked the layout of the university and how everything felt nice and calm here. I also thought the education program was the best one of all the universities I considered.
Why did you choose your major?
I have wanted to be a teacher since my first day of kindergarten. I’ve kind of gone back-and-forth on what I wanted to teach — like in middle school, I thought about teaching kindergarten and in high school I thought about teaching biology before finally settling on history. My high school was actually grades 7-12, so I had the same teacher for 7th grade geography and freshman world history. At one point he also taught the seniors government. He made me realize that I really liked the idea that I could watch these kids grow up over time, which is why I added my middle school degree. I’ve just always loved education.
I don’t know that there’s a definitive moment that sparked my interest in history. I think I’ve just always liked it, too. I remember going to a yard sale when I was six and my mom told me I could pick out one thing that was a dollar or less. Instead of picking all the toys, I picked up this old, junky globe that still had the USSR on it. I would spin it, run my finger along it, and pick a random country. Then, I’d look it up on Wikipedia to learn more about it. I’m also interested in world cultures, so I like that aspect of it, that you can learn more about a new place and the people who live there.
Who have been your mentors?
Definitely Dr. Miguel Gomez of the Middle School Education Program because he’s been so helpful. He was a middle school teacher up until rather recently, so he has a lot of recent experience in the classroom. He is also realistic about things that happen in the classroom and wants to teach us strategies and methods that are best suited for not only middle school students but also our specific concentrations. He is always there for us and will go out of his way to make sure that have what we need to succeed and thrive both in the classroom and in our own personal lives. On the history side of my degree, I was really impacted by two professors who have both retired, Dr. Duane Bolin and Dr. Charlotte Beahan. They were both instrumental in helping me get my double major. If it wasn’t for their help, I don’t think I would have been able to do both.
Favorite Time Period or Country to Learn About?
I don’t know that I have a favorite time period. I just like learning about things I didn’t learn in high school. Because it was a small school, we didn’t really have that many electives. We just had the standard world history, U.S. history, government, and that was about it. My favorite class I took here at Murray State was actually all about pirates. I took it because I didn’t know anything about pirates and thought it would be fun. I just like to learn about any country that’s kind of quirky. So if there’s a weird fact about a country, I would like to know it.
Tell us about your time studying abroad.
It was a three-week program with the Kentucky Institute for International Studies (KIIS) in Denmark, and it was really great because we spent a week and a half in Copenhagen. Then, we went and spent another week in this town called Aarhus where there was a lot of Viking-related artifacts. At one point, we went to a Viking museum, and they had recovered pieces of Viking ships that had been sunk a thousand years ago. We also got to see a runestone from the Viking King Harald Bluetooth who is actually the namesake of the modern Bluetooth technology.
How’s your student teaching process going thus far?
I’m doing a program called Professional Development School Program. It’s essentially a year-long student teaching experience. The teachers I’m with now are the same ones I was with for my extended practicum, and I started when the school started. So, I was there for the open house and all the professional development sessions before school started. It’s been really great so far because it feels like I’m actually a real teacher now. My mentor teachers have just been so helpful. I mean, they agreed to take me on for the entire year. With the school being so small anyway, there’s just a lot of communication happening, so they’re giving me a lot of freedom to do what I want. I can take their lessons and adapt them. It’s been really helpful and I think it will make me a better teacher in the long run.
What are your plans after graduation?
Ideally, I want to go back to the region where I’m from and teach at a small school. I’ll probably end up going home to southern Indiana or staying on the Kentucky side of the river. I know a lot of history education people want to teach for a little before moving on to get their master’s degree or Ph.D and teach at a college level, but I just want to be left alone as a teacher. I think I’d rather teach middle school over high school, but either way, I just want to work with the kids.
What advice would you give a new student at Murray State?
I’m sure a lot of people say this, but it is so important to get involved. I did basically nothing for the first few years and I was pretty miserable. My third year, I knew the Residential College Council (RCC) president of my building who convinced me to join the group, and I unexpectedly became an officer. Because of that, I was eventually able to become an RA and a desk supervisor. I had a lot of fun doing those things, and they actually helped me build skills that I’ll use as a teacher. You can also meet some great people by just by stepping out of your comfort zone and attending an event you usually wouldn’t.
“Alex is a pure joy to teach. Not only has she accomplished so much in her academics as a double major in middle school & secondary education, but more importantly, she has embraced a style of teaching that promotes inclusion, discovery, and historical thinking in her social studies classroom. She will become that memorable teacher, that students will remember for their lifetime.”
-Dr. Miguel Gomez
College of humanities and fine arts 