Taylor Stanley is from Southport, North Carolina. She earned a bachelor’s degree in history from North Carolina State University before enrolling in the MAT in Secondary Education program at the Watson College.
“I chose to become a teacher because of my American History teacher in high school,” she said. “I went to Brunswick County Early College and had a teacher there, Ms. Osborne, who I adored. She was smart, strong, and empowered, and I wanted to be like her. The more I learned about education, the more I wanted to become an advocate for students and youth who were not as advantaged as I was.”
Taylor said her experiences at the Watson College have helped her prepare for her future teaching career, and she especially appreciates the support provided for edTPA and submission.
Taylor is completing an internship at North Brunswick High School during her final semester.
“Receiving the Hattie M. Strong scholarship was significant to me because it allowed me to focus on my internship completely and not have to work another job to support myself,” she said. “I am happy to be fully immersed in my student teaching experience. This has also allowed me to be more involved in my school community and go to school events to support my students and my cooperating school.”
After graduating in May, Taylor looks forward to teaching close to home.
“I want to work in a rural high school community to support and be an advocate for students who do not have further access to out-of-school resources,” she said. “ I choose UNCW's Watson College of Education because I wanted to come back to my home and work in my community. I want to give back to my community.”
This article has the following tags: Watson College of Education Accomplishments Students & Alumni