Student — and Student Advocate

When it came to choosing a college, Emma Hindt ’25 was confident that 皇冠体育 was the place for her. 虽然她在附近有很多选择，但当她踏入校园的那一刻，她的决定就很明确了。  

“I chose Mount Mercy because it felt like home,” Emma said. 作为一名土生土长的锡达拉皮兹人，她发现默西山提供了完美的亲密社区感觉，同时提供了大量的学术机会。  

With aspirations to become an instructional coach or teacher leader, Emma knew Mount Mercy’s Education program would allow her to turn her dreams into reality. Mount Mercy’s supportive environment, which boasts small class sizes and a variety of extra-curricular offerings, has been a space that allowed Emma to branch out while staying close to family and friends.  

As an 小学教育 major, Emma says that one of her aspirations in life is to develop classrooms where students feel valued and supported. 通过早期的动手学习经验，艾玛能够在Mount Mercy做到这一点。  

Mount Mercy’s Education program provides students the opportunity to learn in real-world classroom settings more quickly than other programs. Beginning the spring of her freshman year, Emma started working in a second-grade classroom at St. Joseph’s Catholic School in Marion. 她在那里建立的关系使她在二年级时获得了幼儿园助理的职位。 That same year, Emma expanded her experience even further by working in a special education classroom at Francis Marion Intermediate School during the fall semester, and then tutored English and second language learners that spring at St. Matthew’s Catholic School in Cedar Rapids. She continues to apply what she has learned both inside and outside of Mount Mercy’s classrooms, now working with kindergartners at Center Point-Urbana Primary School. 

当艾玛在2025年秋天开始学生教学时，她将已经有足够的经验可以借鉴，为她作为教育家和学生倡导者的旅程迈出下一步做好准备。  

“A lot of programs don’t get pre-service teachers into the classroom until their junior year, but Mount Mercy allows you to have ample time in a classroom before you student teach,” Emma explained. 

艾玛认为，她通过教育项目建立的专业关系帮助她向自己的职业目标迈进了一步，她将于2025年12月毕业。  

“Through my field experience, I have met so many incredible teachers that I have gained so much experience and wisdom from,” Emma explained. “The teachers I’ve met have allowed me to get a foot in the door.” 

Emma is also involved in the 皇冠体育 + program, which allows her to take courses and earn credits towards her master’s degree while completing her undergraduate studies. Emma说皇冠体育 +为她提供了扩展的知识基础和全面的教学指导，为她成功的教学生涯做好了准备。 

“皇冠体育 + has allowed me to experience a greater depth of knowledge within the elementary education realm,” Emma stated.  

After Emma receives her graduate degree from Mount Mercy, she plans to work as an elementary school teacher and hopes the jump on her master’s degree will get her to her goal of becoming an instructional coach or teacher leader in the near future.  

除了她的学术追求，艾玛积极参与各种校园活动，包括合唱团，保龄球队和未来教育者俱乐部。 她说，她参与这些组织不仅提高了她的大学经历，还培养了对她未来职业生涯有益的人脉。 

艾玛永远忘不了的一件事是，她第一次参加大学保龄球锦标赛时，胸前印着野马队的标志。 她说，在所有的朋友和队友的支持下，代表仁慈山参赛是一种特别的兴奋。 

“I have made so many incredible friends through this university that I cannot imagine my life without,” Emma said. “They have been my support system through these last two years, and I am forever grateful to Mount Mercy for bringing them into my life.” 

For prospective students considering 皇冠体育, Emma’s advice is simple yet impactful: “Get involved in as much as you can.” 她强调充分利用大学经历的重要性，包括参加体育赛事、加入俱乐部和参加音乐活动。 艾玛认为，这些机会丰富了校园生活，并有助于创造持久的记忆。 

“You are only at this point of your life once,” she exclaimed, “so make it count.”