Student Profile: Michael Reeves
Elementary education major Michael Reeves has always loved working with children, which is why he wants to be a third or fourth grade teacher after graduating from Alma College.
“At that age, kids are really starting to get into more depth in their learning, and it is a pivotal point because it’s when they start to either love or hate school,” he says. “I want to help them develop a love of learning. For me, seeing the moment when it clicks, and they understand something you’ve taught them is probably the best feeling in the world.”
Reeves, whose parents are alumni, chose Alma because he wanted to expand his own love of learning both in and outside of the classroom. In addition to the ability to take classes outside of his major, he loves how involved he can be, he says.
“I’m a resident assistant, volunteer at Youth for Christ, member of the Alma College Choir, and brother of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia,” he says. “There are amazing people here that want to form an awesome community with you. I’ve made a lot of friends here that I know I’m going to stay in touch with after graduation.”
Though the Illinois junior is confident in his career path, Reeves also knows that if he were to choose not to become a teacher, he’d still have a strong educational foundation of his own behind him. The classes at Alma have prepared him for anything anyone will throw at him, he says.
“I’ve been in the classroom almost every semester since my sophomore year, but we are given such a well-rounded education at Alma that if we don’t decide to go into what we’ve majored in, we have the knowledge to succeed in multiple career fields and be good citizens of the world,” he says.
