Most remarkable about my Pacific Experience was my professors' positive influence on me. One of the reasons I chose Pacific was because it was a smaller school with smaller class sizes. I knew I would be receiving an education when I would personally get to know my professors and fellow students. That happened and even more. The professors made themselves readily accessible and were keenly interested in supporting and guiding me through the program.
Pacific also influenced me as a person, providing me with a solid foundation to become a teacher and giving me a well-rounded experience during my time on campus. Being in Stockton provided a wide range of teaching experiences due to the diverse community. I met exciting students and adults with an international view. I received a bachelor's in elementary education and a master's in education with a teaching credential in special education from Pacific. I was so happy with my master's in Special Education because it taught me about pedagogy, research methods, and assessment management.
After graduating from Pacific, I went straight into teaching special education. I used the knowledge and experience I gained and put it to good use. I have taught in Oregon, California, Japan, and Dubai. I have had a range of positions, including regular classroom, learning support, coach, coordinator, technology, and STEM. I have come full circle since I now instruct other teachers through graduate courses online for the University of Wisconsin Stout. I have traveled through almost 100 countries and look forward to more world explorations and experiences.
Special education was a unique educational opportunity, and the skills opened doors I would never have imagined. The concept of design thinking is the pathway for implementing unique opportunities for innovative thinking. This philosophy was an exceptional preparation. Later in my career, I designed maker spaces. Innovative design is the cornerstone of maker space, and design thinking uplifts those who struggle and evens the playing field. Many students in special education thrive in the maker space arena and often have the skills to become student mentors.
Because of Pacific, I have become a lifelong learner and had an extraordinary intercultural professional career as a teacher. I want to support the next generation of special education educators with the foundational education made possible by the exceptional faculty at Benerd. One of my ways of doing this is including Pacific in my estate to make sure future special education educators can receive the same support I did on their journey.
