Student Profile: Brooklyn Misenhelder
For elementary education major Brooklyn Misenhelder, happiness can be found in a classroom.
“Kids are so funny and energetic,” she says. “Their excitement rubs off on me. More than that, though, I want to be a teacher because it gives me the opportunity to make an impact on their lives.”
The Ithaca junior first showed interest in pursuing a career in education when she was a kid, thanks to several role models in her family. Misenhelder’s mother and aunt were teachers.
“I had a phase in high school where I thought, ‘Everyone’s a teacher—I don’t know if I want to be a teacher, too!’” she says. “But as soon as I started taking education classes at Alma, I knew it was exactly where I wanted to be.”
Though she hasn’t always been confident about her calling to teaching, Misenhelder knew that Alma College was where she felt at home. Her sisters and cousins were Scots, and she says she fell in love with the campus, too.
“The professors know you and expect you to do well,” she says. “I feel like they will be resources for life, not just while I’m at Alma. They really want you to succeed.”
Outside of the classroom, Misenhelder works at the Counseling and Wellness Center. She also is a member of the Education Club and Do Something*, which promotes random acts of kindness within the community.
