I’m Not Just a Student, I’m a Story

University of Mobile is a place where you are not just a student, but you are a part of an epic story. This is my story.

I chose University of Mobile because of the family environment. When I stepped on the campus, I couldn’t help but feel at home. It felt so nice (and a little scary) to be greeted by so many smiling faces. It’s so funny, because now I am one of those creepy smiling faces. The thing that really sold me, however, was the genuinely loving attitude and overall atmosphere at UM.

My professors are incredible! They actually care more about my learning than my grades, and that is absolutely how it should be. The professors here truly stand out. The thing I love is that when I would be having a hard semester or so many things going on to where my grades would slip, my professors would reach out to me immediately, asking how they could help or if everything was okay. Their caring attitudes inspire me each day to want to do better in their class. Honestly, college is hard and sometimes I want to give up, but having professors who are so supportive and encouraging…it keeps me going forward!

I want to be a teacher because I want to aid in inspiring, molding, and shaping the young minds of our future generations. Even more so than that, I want to impact the lives of my students in such a way that it reflects Christ’s unconditional love, grace, and patience. I want to be the light for the students who only know darkness. I also want to learn from them each day how to be a better teacher.

The School of Education is preparing me by putting us in schools immediately. The School of Education truly understands that we learn by doing. With this understanding, they try to put us in various schools with various specifications, ensuring that we are experiencing as many things as possible. That way, by the time we get to student teaching, we are already competent and confident in the classroom. They also teach us the best and most recent research-based teaching strategies. Not to mention, we often do projects and activities that we create in order to put ourselves in the students’ footsteps. This reminds us and keeps us mindful of what it feels like to be a student, which helps us to plan better lessons.

I recommend UM because, in my opinion, University of Mobile is the best environment for developing the whole individual. What I mean by that is, here at UM, it is not just about academics, though academics are very important. Here it is about developing into your full potential academically, emotionally, socially, spiritually, and sometimes physically. Ultimately, at University of Mobile the goal is to not only better yourself, but to also better the things around you, and that is what sets us apart.

About the Author

Annamarie Smith

Annamarie Smith is a senior Early Childhood and Elementary education major from Semmes, Alabama. She is involved with Student Life as a Residential Assistant. She is also a member of SLATE, Reading Council, Abilities Unlimited, and The Community Table at University of Mobile. Her favorite hobbies include socializing, eating, and venting to God. However, if the weather is nice, you may also find her outside somewhere on a blanket reading a Love lnspired romance novel. One day, she hopes to come back to UM and be a professor in the School of Education.