Why I Chose Education

Simple Question, Powerful Answers:

We asked educators why they chose to enter the field of education and they shared their inspiring stories. From current students to those who have worked in education for decades, take a look at why our alumni chose to make a difference in the lives of learners.

Ashlyn Scruggs ’15

“A real reason why I teach is to serve other people and give back to them,” says the Wake County Public School System middle school social studies teacher.

Meet Ashlyn

Richmond Hill ’01MED

“There’s this power in being able to mentor and develop others,” says the provost of Northern Virginia Community College’s (NOVA) Woodbridge campus.

Meet Richmond

JESSICA TERRONES ’22

“I want my classroom to feel representative of my students and a space where they can be themselves,” says the Lee County Schools middle school mathematics teacher.

Meet Jessica

VANCE KITE ’18MED, ’21PHD

“I really like working with in-service teachers because I remember being there,” says the director of the Kenan Fellows Program for Teacher Leadership.

Meet Vance

KARRIE DIXON ’97, ’03EDD

“Education is an avenue to social and economic mobility. It transforms lives,” says the chancellor of Elizabeth City State University.

Meet Karrie

why i chose education

More Why I Chose Education Stories

#WhyIChoseEducation: ‘Education Is a Career Trajectory That Allows You to Learn a Whole Lot in Order to Understand It Yourself, But Also to Share It With Other People,’ Says Jennifer Buelin ’12PHD

Jennifer Buelin ’12PHD, senior program manager for Workforce Development and Career and Technical Education with the ASHLIN Management Group, has spent her career seeking out new learning opportunities that allow her to give back to others.

WhyIChoseEducation: ‘I Still Think That It Helps Us Build a Better Society When We Ask Rigorous Questions and Study Them Well,’ Says Stephen Day ’15PHD

Stephen Day ’15PHD has a passion for helping students better understand economics, and now serves as a term associate professor at Virginia Commonwealth University and director of its Center for Economic Education.

#WhyIChoseEducation: ‘If I Can at Least Reach One of These Kids, Then It’ll Have a Domino Effect,’ Says Oneisha Leonard-Henry ’23MAT

Whether it was her mom, a nurse, flipping through the pages of a novel at the end of a long day, or her grandmother, a pastor, hosting Bible studies and book clubs, Oneisha Leonard-Henry ’23MAT remembers growing up surrounded by family members who loved to read. Now, she is an English teacher able to share her passion for literature with seventh graders at Neal Magnet Middle School in Durham.