University Of Vermont And State Agricultural College issued the following announcement on March 16.
For as long as she can remember, Samantha Marcotte dreamed of becoming a teacher someday. “I enjoy the creativity, thoughtfulness and heart that goes into teaching, and I look forward to fostering a welcoming community and learning environment for all of my future students,” says the UVM senior from South Kingstown, Rhode Island.
“My first job was a tennis instructor for a junior summer camp program. I loved working with kids and watching them grow each day. I wanted to continue inspiring students’ passions and curiosity."
In pursuing her goal, she wanted to find a university with an education program that valued community and prioritized experience in the field. “After touring UVM and speaking with other students, faculty, and staff, I realized that this was the perfect place for me,” she recalls. “I instantly fell in love with the campus and the surrounding Burlington area.”
Coming into her first year at UVM, Marcotte got involved with the TREK orientation program. “At the time I didn't know how influential that experience would be, but it sparked my passion for outdoor leadership and outdoor education," she says. "I'm also a UVM Outing Club leader, so I get to work with like-minded student leaders to increase accessibility to the outdoors."
Last summer, she enjoyed working as an expedition trip leader for a youth summer camp program with the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum. “During one expedition, we paddled the entire length of Lake Champlain on a fifteen-day trip."
Through UVM's Foundations of Place-Based Education course, she and her classmates worked closely with Shelburne Farms to take an in depth look at the maple sugaring process. They also collaborated with the Burlington City and Lake Semester program to develop curriculum inspired by themes involving a sense of place, community, civic engagement, sustainability, and social justice.
"I believe the transferable outcomes and experiences that come from place-based and outdoor educational opportunities are truly far reaching,” says Marcotte, who plans to teach in Vermont after graduation. Along with a degree in Elementary Education, a minor in Special Education, and a Place-Based Education Certificate, her credentials will include broad range of teaching and leadership experiences, including her full-time student teaching internship this semester at Chamberlin Elementary School in South Burlington.
Her love of teaching is obvious for everyone to see. "Sam greets her students each day with a huge smile and exudes a love for learning and working with them," says Senior Lecturer Kelly Becker, who supervised two of Marcotte's previous practicums. "She is always prepared and she puts in the extra effort to make her lessons engaging and fun for students. She is sure to be a model educator."
Finding community on campus has been another rewarding aspect of Marcotte's experience at UVM and within the College of Education and Social Services (CESS).
“Being in classes with many of my peers since our first year and traveling together through our time here has been such a unique and wonderful experience. I have been fortunate to develop incredible relationships with peers, faculty and community leaders. Professors challenged me and provided invaluable resources in my development as a teacher. My hope is to continue those relationships and give back to the CESS community after graduation.”
Original source can be found here.
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