UNI celebrates future teachers at 62nd Teacher Education Convocation

The University of Northern Iowa held its annual Teacher Education Convocation on Saturday, Sept. 13, welcoming future educators into the teacher education program. This event encompasses students from all academic colleges at UNI, highlighting the expansiveness of Iowa's largest teacher education program.

Held during Family Weekend, Teacher Education Convocation is also a chance for education students' loved ones to celebrate their achievements and look ahead to their careers.

Each student has their own story to tell about why they are choosing to enter this in-demand profession.

"My family is full of educators, so I've had lots of experience in the classroom and seen how my sisters are all teachers and how they've changed lives in students," said Hayley Nulfrod, a freshman majoring in elementary education. "I want to do the same."

"Honestly, I was just really at about giving presentations about history," explained Logan Frink, a freshman history teachingmajor. "One of the history teachers recommended I take the intro to education course we have, so I could student teach. I think it was just being good at being able to yap about history that drew me to this."

UNI is not only the top producer of teachers in the state - it is in the 1% of programs in the country in terms of number of educators it graduates each year.

"For me, I always knew UNI had a really good teacher program," said Elliana Brodbeck, a freshman majoring in English education. "It was the first college I visited. My dad told me to visit more, but I knew this was gonna be home right away, so I stuck with UNI.

Even though teaching full-time is still a few years away, these students are already looking forward to the day they get to call a classroom their own.

"I'm excited to build relationships with kids and just get to know them and understand them more," said Lily Joseph, a freshman elementary education major.

"I think it's one of the best things I can do as a human to help others succeed in their goals while also trying my best to do mine," said Evan Kinney, a sophomore history education major.