Student Paths

You never know where a degree will take you. Below, we share some stories from our graduates. If you wold like to share your story, contact Tracy M. Rees at tracy.rees@utah.edu.

“I’ve had quite the winding career trajectory since finishing my PhD – worked on the tenure track at a university for a few years, left academia, returned to the schools, worked for a non-profit, published a children’s book and co-hosted a podcast, finished training as a yoga teacher and breathwork facilitator. My advice would be to remain open to possibilities; a PhD is training for so many skills that open doors to lots of opportunities.”
       -- Naomi, Utah State Board of Education

“I loved meeting other professionals who were equally passionate about improving their literacy practices. I've gained so many practical strategies for my classroom. I've loved learning about how different components of literacy work together and also ways to support what each student needs.”

       --Elise, Elementary teacher 

“My master's program gave me the credentials I needed to feel informed in my current position as a reading interventionist. It also ignited a desire to learn more about how to help struggling readers and what's happening in their brains.”

--Kerstin, University of Utah Reading Clinic

 

 

“I really enjoyed the depth of exposure I had to principles of teaching and learning. Those theories were introduced to me when I was an undergraduate, but I didn’t have the context or experience to recognize how important they were. Returning to school as a practicing teacher gave me so much insight into how we learn and how best to teach. I didn’t enter the program with plans to teach and work at the university level, but my experiences in the program opened my eyes to the potential of working at that level.”
      --Jon, BYU Professor