Adeleigh Graham ’24: ‘I Love the Hands-on Applications for Technology, Engineering, and Design Education’

In her time at NC State, Adeleigh Graham has grown as a technologist and as an educator through the College of Education’s technology, engineering, and design education program.

Now, as Graham prepares to enter the classroom as a teacher in the Wake County Public School System, she is looking forward to sharing the skills and knowledge she has gained with her students. 

Hometown: Statesville, North Carolina

Degree: Bachelor of Science in Technology, Engineering, and Design Education

Why did you choose the NC State College of Education?

I chose the College of Education because of my love of teaching. I started my time at NC State in engineering, but quickly realized that was not the right fit for me. The College of Education allowed me to find a smaller community at a huge school, and I love how the faculty and staff care for each student. 

Why did you choose your major? 

I love the hands-on applications for technology, engineering, and design education (TDE), and how it focuses on the design aspect of engineering and technology. This degree is all the fun things you thought engineering was in high school! I also appreciate its career applications that you won’t always see in your core classes.

How has the College of Education prepared you for your next step?

I am going to teach in Wake County! The College of Education has prepared me by not only teaching me the standards and best practices for technology education, but, most importantly, the college has taught me the importance of showing up. By showing up for my students and being myself, I can be the best teacher I can be and still provide a fun and engaging classroom environment.

Tell us about an experience you had with the College of Education that had the biggest impact on you or your career.

Attending TEECA East had the biggest impact on my career because it gave me ideas for how to incorporate fun activities in the classroom, but it also gave me an opportunity outside of my college classes to plan, be flexible and think outside of the box.

Why did you choose education?

Education was not a career that I thought about before college, but I knew it was my calling when I looked back on my life and realized that I had been teaching for longer than I thought. I love learning new concepts and sharing them with others. I like seeing the “a-ha moment” for people when they finally get a concept that they were struggling with. I chose education because of the passion that I have for learning and the desire I have to share that with others.