Zainab Bhatti was inspired by interactions with faculty and staff at the NC State College of Education to put in extra effort to empathize with her students and create relationships with them. She is now looking forward to getting into the classroom and inspiring her students to discover a love for science.
Learn more about Zainab Bhatti
Hometown: Brooklyn, New York
Degree: Bachelor of Science in Science Education
Activities (Research or Extracurricular): N.C. Teaching Fellows
Why did you choose the NC State College of Education?
I chose the NC State College of Education because of the diversity and resources provided to us from the college. The amazing staff and professors were just the cherry on top!
Why did you choose your area of study?
I choose science education because I want to inspire and instill a love for science in students.
What’s your next step? What do you have planned after graduation?
I plan on traveling a little bit before jumping into the classroom to teach.
What do you hope to accomplish in your field?
My goal is to inspire at least five students every year to find a love for learning science. I also hope to engage students in ways to learn about and save their environment through clubs or class work.
Do you have a favorite memory from your time in the College of Education?
My favorite memories stem from my classes such as ED 204: Introduction to Teaching in Today’s Schools with Laura Jacobs ’22PHD, ELP 344: School and Society with [Assistant Teaching Professor] Peter Hessling or EDP 304: Educational Psychology with Rebeca Calderon Lima ’22PHD. These classes provided more than just content; they also provided a newfound love for teaching I didn’t know existed within me. I learned so much about social emotional learning (SEL), ways students think and learn, how to write up a school improvement plan (SIP) and so much more.
Tell us about an experience you had with the College of Education that had the biggest impact on you or your career.
For me, that experience was meeting [Director of Advising] Amanda Beller and [Director of Teaching Fellows at NC State] Crystal Espey. I met Amanda when I transferred here in 2019 as she was my advisor. We found out we went to the same high school and bonded over that. Amanda provided nothing but warmth and comfort, which inspired me to grow and be a better version of myself. Another amazing human being I have the honor of knowing is Crystal. I officially met Crystal when I was accepted into the N.C. Teaching Fellows program. I have always seen her around campus, hustling or running events for the College of Education. Crystal is someone I felt comfortable talking to and expressing how I felt on days I didn’t feel like continuing my education. She talked to me about her experiences and showed me there are ways to cope and keep working through it after having a day or two to take care of myself. Because of these lovely people, I have also extended this empathy to my students while student teaching and this has improved and created so many wonderful relationships with them.
Why did you choose education?
I choose education because I have always had a love for teaching others. Seeing concepts click in their mind and finally putting things together is always such a wonderful feeling.
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