#WhyIChoseEducation: ‘Education is a Profession Where You Can See the Impact that You are Having on the World Around You,’ Says Master of Arts in Teaching Student Nicholas Massey ‘21MAT

This is part of a monthly “Why I Chose Education” series in which NC State College of Education alumni, students, faculty and staff share why they chose education.

Nicholas Massey ‘21MAT, who has had a passion for movies since he was a young boy, just wrapped up work on a Christmas movie called One Royal Holiday, which will premiere Oct. 31 on the Hallmark Channel. He served as a swing in the art department, which means he worked under the set decorator and assisted with getting the sets ready for filming.

Massey got connected with the film through the production designer, whom he had worked with on two other feature films — The Good Things Devils Do and The Bewailing — as the script supervisor.

“They found out I had a secret bow tying skill from my days doing floriculture for the FFA back in high school. Almost every bow you see in [One Royal Holiday] was tied by me,” he said. “The most fun part was turning this old barn into a Christmas store.”

Massey always saw film as one of the best mediums to reach people. “Who doesn’t love a good movie?” he said. That inspired him to study film and television production at Western Carolina University, where he received his Bachelor of Fine Arts.

But having always had an interest in education and looking for a change of scenery, Massey decided to pursue his other love. He is currently in the Master of Arts in Teaching program with a concentration in elementary education.

“I saw that there was a need for strong educators that could guide students toward the right directions in life. I chose elementary education because I want to teach the fourth through sixth grade range because I like the curriculum that these grades cover, and that’s when the kids start to really become their own people,” he said.

One of Massey’s career goals is to merge his two interests and develop STEM television shows for children, like Bill Nye the Science Guy for our current generation.

He shares why he chose education, why he chose the NC State College of Education, what he enjoys most about being in the college and what others should know about the college.

Why I Chose Education: Education is a profession where you can see the impact that you are having on the world around you. You also get to grow with your students, as they learn, you learn, too. There aren’t many professions out there that allow for that.

Why I Chose the NC State College of Education: NC State offered a wonderful program that was flexible and fit my needs for graduate school. NC State is also a top college for education. The cost was also very important, too, and the MAT program is extremely cost effective.

How Education Has Shaped Me: Without an education, I would not be where I am today. If it wasn’t for all the teachers and professors I have had, I would never have been able to accomplish what I have.

What I Enjoy Most About Being Part of the NC State College of Education: I enjoy the professors the most. They all really care about watching us succeed and they are always there to help us whenever we need it.

How My Experience in the College of Education Has Prepared Me for the Future: The College of Education is doing a great job of preparing me for life inside the classroom. We discuss a wide variety of topics and teaching strategies that are sure to help once we start teaching.

What Others Should Know about the College of Education: It is a wonderful program with extremely well-educated professors. 10/10 would recommend it.