SOE graduate ambassador finds communication is key
Addie Snyder is a fifth-year student at the VCU School of Education, on track to graduate in May 2020 with a Master of Teaching in Early and Elementary Education. She’s also a new SOE graduate ambassador.
As a graduate ambassador, Snyder’s responsibilities include working closely with Jenna Lenhardt, Ph.D., a recruitment specialist in the Office of Strategic Communications and Enrollment Management. Collaborating with Lenhardt, she implemented a recruitment plan for communicating with potential SOE students, starting from first contact to their acceptance into their program.
Snyder has been a graduate ambassador since May 2019 and says that in that time, she has been able to learn about all of the programs that SOE offers, build relationships with other SOE faculty and staff, and do outreach through classroom visits and events at VCU.
“Two big events that I was able to help plan and implement were the two Shadow a VCU Student Days and Open Houses, which provided prospective education students with information about our programs, the application process, and SOE as a whole,” Snyder said.
Snyder said her main goal as graduate assistant is to make sure prospective students feel supported and welcomed to ask questions throughout the process of applying to SOE.
“It has been extremely rewarding to see the impact I am able to make on prospective students. Even a simple ‘I am happy to help!’ is enough to ensure that students feel comfortable during the process,” she said.
In her own words ...
What’s been your favorite experience of being a VCU student?
One of my favorite experiences was being accepted into the VCU ASPiRE program, which is a living-learning program that provides students with community engagement experiences. As a result, I was able to go on a two-week service learning trip over the summer to Belize, where our group ran a summer camp, assisted with clean-up in one of the local villages, and had opportunities to explore all that Belize has to offer: cave tubing, Mayan ruins, and the beautiful Cayes – to name a few.
What made you want to become a teacher?
My experiences during elementary school made me want to become a teacher because I was able to build great relationships with my teachers. I also knew I wanted to go into a helping profession because my mom is a nurse and she is a great role model for me!
How do you think VCU SOE is preparing you to become a teacher?
It’s providing me with meaningful, diverse experiences in the classroom. I really appreciate that I have had different experiences within an elementary school almost every semester of the teacher preparation program! I have also learned how to become a critically reflective practitioner through the VCU SOE program because my professors emphasize the importance of reflecting on my experiences, and how I can always adopt the mindset of improving as an educator and as a life-long learner.