Statewide Student Spotlight: Rachel Allen

 

The English Department is excited to spotlight English Teaching student Rachel Allen.

Statewide student Rachel Allen has lived in Price, Utah, for most of her life. Around 20 years ago, she attended the College of Eastern Utah (CEU) to receive her associate’s degree and nursing certificate. Now, after CEU became USU Eastern, she’s back and studying English Teaching while raising three children.

Rachel believes finishing her education will help her live her passion for teaching as well as provide for her family. She says, “Being at USU has given me flexibility to attend class online wherever I am and still be able to work full time and care for my family. It has given me the opportunity to show my children that you can do anything, at any time in your life, if you work hard — and that being a lifelong learner is a skill that will serve them in the future.”

Currently, Rachel is working as a seventh-grade language arts teacher on an emergency certification while finishing her degree. While challenging, Rachel reflects that the unique experience has been important to her growth: “Being that I am already teaching, my professors have been awesome at adapting things to work with those circumstances, and teaching while attending school has given me a great insight into many of my projects/assignments.”

Rachel believes the most influential part of attending USU has been the impact of the faculty and staff. She comments, “I have not had a professor or staff member who was not willing and able to provide additional help or resources for whatever I might need. Being a non-traditional student, and away from the college experience for several years, I needed a lot of support just getting started. The counselors, financial aid department, and then professors were amazing helping this old lady figure it out!”

As a student in the teaching program, Rachel has found it to be a worthwhile learning experience. She notes, “The classes/curriculum have been so cohesive and I have learned so much. There is a ton of reading and writing — but it is doable!”

Rachel has the spring semester and student teaching left before she is finished with her degree. In the future, she wants to continue teaching full time at the local middle school she is currently at, spend some time off and take some vacations with her family, and continue developing her teaching skills and curriculum. “At some point down the road I may work
towards a Master’s degree,” she says, “but first I need a break.”