From Internship To a Full-Time Job: The BES Student Shares Her Success Story
When you know what you want to be when you grow up, you just go for it. The BES student Danielle Nieder has always wanted to be an educator. A couple of years after joining the Deaf Education Program at Missouri State University, and then transferring to UMSL’s Special Ed and Elementary Education Program, Danielle realized that teaching in a classroom setting was not exactly how she envisioned herself in future.
“I sat down with Stephanie Koscielski, Senior Director of Clinical Experience and Partnership at UMSL, and my advisor, and they both mentioned the Bachelor of Educational Studies Program. This program is about education but not in the classroom, and I felt that that was where I wanted to go with my degree. So, I switched to BES, and I am graduating in December 2017,” says Nieder.
The Bachelor of Educational Studies Program at the University of Missouri – St. Louis is designed for students excited about bridging in-school and out-of-school environments and facilitating life-long learning. The coursework is built around students’ interests with a unique mix of education, management and classes related to a students’ passion. Currently there are four emphasis areas including Early Childhood, Park and Museum Programs, Exercise Science and Wellness, and Youth and Adult Development.
“With the BES degree there are so many options out there,” confesses Danielle. “If you get a teaching degree, you are limited to being a teacher and being in the classroom setting. While with the BES degree you are still able to teach, to mentor, to educate. You are able to offer and achieve so much more.”
The BES program is indeed tailored for those who are passionate about informal learning and want to choose a different career path rather than traditional teaching. The program prepares students to work in zoos and museums, child care and after-school programs, indoor and outdoor recreation facilities, parks and camps. “I have been in the BES program for a year and a half now, and I have learned much more than I have learned in my entire college career,” says Danielle. “There is so much support with the BES program: everyone is willing to help, and everyone really cares about where you want to go.”
As part of her degree Danielle is currently interning at Kingdom House – an organization that helps economically disadvantaged people achieve independence and self-sufficiency, and find a path out of poverty. Nieder is working with middle school and after school programs, and she says they keep her busy. Her responsibilities range from assisting kids with their homework and driving them home at the end of the day, to teaching a cooking class and setting up a local library. For the last several months, Danielle has been involved in many activities at Kingdom House, and has managed to excel so much that she was offered a full-time position. Nieder is going to start working as a full-time employee at Kingdom House right after her graduation.
We congratulate Danielle on the new position and wish her good luck in her further professional achievements!
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