Karina Simoni ‘19MED: I Want to Help Adults Be More Successful in the Hope that I Empower at Least One Person to Keep Learning

The NC State College of Education will graduate 157 students Dec. 19, 2019. This is part of a series of profiles with some members of the Class of 2019 who will walk cross the stage this December.

Name: Karina Simoni ’19MED

Hometown: Raleigh, N.C.

Area of Study: Learning Design and Technology

Activities (Research or Extracurricular): Horseback riding, crocheting, small farming, authoring children’s books about small farming and improving adult education in the workplace.

What do you hope to accomplish in your field after graduation? My ultimate dream is to reinvent higher education for those in the workplace. Short term; however, I would like to improve adult education through an instructional designer position.

What’s your next step after graduation? I am moving to Maryland, getting married to my boyfriend of seven years and starting a job in instructional design.

How has the NC State College of Education prepared you for that next step? NC State’s College of Education has opened up doors to a new community of scholars and colleagues who have already been invaluable in helping me through the beginnings of a new field for my career. I have also learned new processes to analyze situations regarding learning, and I have learned a ton about learning and instructional theories, which will help me execute my short-term and long-term goals more effectively.

Why did you choose education? There are simply not enough people in education these days trying to close the gaps our communities are facing. Even though my focus is on adult education, this will in turn affect our primary schools, as adults have a huge influence on the next generation. I want to be an ally to primary school teachers because they severely need more, and I want to help adults be more successful in the hope that I empower at least one person to keep learning and teach our next generation that continuous learning is the best thing we can do for ourselves.</span