About Me
Hello everyone! My name is Lauren Russell and I am an Elementary Education senior at Michigan State University! I am currently concentrating in mathematics and English, and will complete my Bachelor of Arts in May, 2010.
I've known I've wanted to be a teacher since fifth grade, when I had one of the best experiences in the classroom as a student. My teacher, Mrs. Collins, was a dedicated, hard-working individual who never gave up on her students, including myself. I personally did not enjoy reading (I was an extremely slow reader and didn't think any book would interest me), but Mrs. Collins would always find a way to get me to read a novel. One night, after I "forgot" a novel at school before I left for vacation, Mrs. Collins brought the book to my home to make sure I had "something to read on the plane." I ended up reading the entire Judy Bloom book on the flight home. I will never forget that experience.
Today, through many obstacles and bumps in the road, I am working toward my degree in Education. Although I am on track to complete my entire program at Michigan State, I will be making an impact on children and young adults more immediately by joining an organization called Teach For America. Teach For America looks to close the achievement gap in low-income, high-need communities across the United States by hiring dedicated individuals from all degree backgrounds to become teachers. I was accepted into the program in early November and will showcase my talents as a high school mathematics teacher in Charlotte, North Carolina this upcoming school year!
In addition to teaching, I have a great interest in the outdoors and traveling. This past summer, I studied abroad in Kenya, Africa, where I learned about the society and ecology throughout the region. I traveled to many schools, interacted with tribes such as the Maasai, and went on lots of safaris where I saw lions, zebras, buffalo, and I even got to kiss a giraffe! Hopefully one day I will be able to return to this region and give back to the people who made this experience so great for me.
I've known I've wanted to be a teacher since fifth grade, when I had one of the best experiences in the classroom as a student. My teacher, Mrs. Collins, was a dedicated, hard-working individual who never gave up on her students, including myself. I personally did not enjoy reading (I was an extremely slow reader and didn't think any book would interest me), but Mrs. Collins would always find a way to get me to read a novel. One night, after I "forgot" a novel at school before I left for vacation, Mrs. Collins brought the book to my home to make sure I had "something to read on the plane." I ended up reading the entire Judy Bloom book on the flight home. I will never forget that experience.
Today, through many obstacles and bumps in the road, I am working toward my degree in Education. Although I am on track to complete my entire program at Michigan State, I will be making an impact on children and young adults more immediately by joining an organization called Teach For America. Teach For America looks to close the achievement gap in low-income, high-need communities across the United States by hiring dedicated individuals from all degree backgrounds to become teachers. I was accepted into the program in early November and will showcase my talents as a high school mathematics teacher in Charlotte, North Carolina this upcoming school year!
In addition to teaching, I have a great interest in the outdoors and traveling. This past summer, I studied abroad in Kenya, Africa, where I learned about the society and ecology throughout the region. I traveled to many schools, interacted with tribes such as the Maasai, and went on lots of safaris where I saw lions, zebras, buffalo, and I even got to kiss a giraffe! Hopefully one day I will be able to return to this region and give back to the people who made this experience so great for me.
http://www.msu.edu/~russe296/LaurenRaboutme.mp3
