After I graduated high school, I didn’t know what I wanted to do. I had been working in therapeutic recreation, which is basically programming for people of all ability levels, but specifically for people with disabilities.
When it was time to apply for college, I realized I had enjoyed all my experiences working with people with disabilities and I wanted to give back to a community that has given me so much.
I’m now a junior at Elmhurst College, majoring in special education. I was introduced to the NEA through the campus chapter. Not only did I end up making life-long friends and fall in the love with the organization—I learned so much along the way: distributive leadership models, community outreach, restorative justice, and advocacy. I’ve learned about budgets, contracting, and how unions fight for their members.
For me, being involved with NEA has added extra value to my teacher prep program. I’m the student who raises her hand and says, ‘that’s great, but what am I going to do if my district does not provide me with the funding?’
The best part about this is that I’ve learned all of these things way before graduating from college! And without the union’s support, it would be really hard to fully understand the full education environment—and it would be lonely for sure. I always like to say I have a friend in every state, and it’s actually true, and that’s something I wouldn’t have been able to do without the union.
I really want to be the Secretary of Education one day. It’s a stretch, but that’s something I didn’t think possible until I started my work with the national union. Instead of it being a crazy idea, there are people in my life who are saying, ‘let me know how I can help.'
