Smile Because It Happened

15 Weeks. 6 classes. Over 50 students reached.

The past 15 weeks, I have been over 100 miles away from home, in a different state, living with strangers who have become family. The past 15 weeks, I was transformed from a Penn State Nittany Lion to a Boonsboro Warrior. Somehow, I am always drawn to the color blue.


Throughout my time at Boonsboro High School, I have learned quite a lot not only about myself, but also about how Maryland Ag Ed is so different than Pennsylvania Ag Ed and how I can marry the two strong passions that I have between Ag Education and Special Education.

At the beginning of the week, I said goodbye to two of my classes as they began their next unit of instruction with Mrs. Cashell-Martin. As Thursday inched closer, I struggled with finding the right words to say and the right way to say see ya later to the students at Boonsboro High School. As the days grew shorter, I was overjoyed with the amount of support and encouragement from both the students and the staff at Boonsboro High School. The amount of hugs and "I'm going to miss you's" were endless. My life skills students wrote me a card and created a goodbye video for me. The officer team also gave me a gift stocked full of teaching materials that I can use in my future classroom. While many of the students walked away with tears in their eyes, I reminded them that I will be back for the banquet in May and of course, quoted one of my favorite sayings. "Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened."

As I drove away from Boonsboro High School on Thursday evening, I was feeling overwhelmed with emotions. I wanted in the worst way to sit in my car and bawl over the lives that I'd gotten to touch and the memories that were made, but then this quote popped into my head. I began to reminisce on all of the memories that were made and think about how many of those memories will be with me for a lifetime and how many more memories I can make with my future students in my own program.



When you ask me why I choose to teach, it's not because I love school because to be honest, I wasn't always the best student, it's solely because I love students and I love playing a role in the lives of students, especially students who may have a rough home life, or need a little bit of extra attention. I believe that all students deserve to have that one teacher who comes out to their sporting events, checks in with them at lunch, makes connections at the door before class begins, and notices when their having a rough day. I long to be that teacher.


To wrap up my student teaching experience in just one blog post is nearly impossible. But, what I can tell you is that I have had an incredible time connecting with the students at Boonsboro. I have grown as a person, and educator, and a member of society. I have gained valuable content knowledge and teaching strategies. But what's grown the most is my heart and my passion for educating the future generation.

I cannot wait to return to Boonsboro in May for the FFA banquet and continue to grow and I dig deeper into the field of education and the content of agriculture. So, as you find yourself having to walk away from something that you love so much, "don't cry because it's over, but smile because it happened."

Once a Warrior, always a Warrior.