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Olivia Mills majored in elementary and special education at ��������Ƶ. She graduated in December 2017, and began working soon after as a teaching assistant. Olivia has already moved up in her field: she’s now a learning support teacher at Twin Rivers Elementary School in McKeesport, Pa. Olivia believes she found the perfect career due to the practical classroom experience she gained while at ��������Ƶ.

“Our professors required us to spend time in the classroom completing observation hours and field work,” she says. “By doing so, we got to work with experienced teachers and interacted directly with children and their curriculum. This gave us an idea as to what we would be doing in our careers prior to student teaching and graduation.”

She enjoyed her ��������Ƶ experience so much, in fact, that’s she’s come back for more. 

“I decided to come back to SHU for my master's in special education because I already knew the special education faculty so well, and I knew I could get a quality, online education while working my first real job in the field.”

Olivia is earning her degree part-time, taking one online class per session. She finds that this is the most manageable for her while she’s working full-time.

“Being a first year teacher is overwhelming, but so far it's been an amazing learning experience and has been very rewarding,” she says. “The student behaviors are challenging but it's making me a better teacher every day. I love my students and I love being able to see them grow as individuals.”