袋鼠不仅会做梦，它们还会做梦. 我们的学生每天都把想法变成行动. 了解我们的人，你就会知道UMKC是什么.

伊莉斯拜尔
毕业一年: 2022年夏天
UMKC学位课程: M.A. 课程与教学 -重视艺术教育 
家乡: 堪萨斯城

你为什么选择UMKC?

我转到UMKC是为了更接近家人和朋友. 也, I was attracted to UMKC's urban location and teacher education programs, as well as the many unique scholarships available to LGBTQIA+ students. Most schools say they support their students, but UMKC actually put action behind their words. 

你为什么选择教育作为你的研究领域? 是什么让你关注城市教育?

I've wanted to be an educator working with children since I was 14 years old. There's something intrinsically rewarding in the experience through the connections we form with our students, 在社区影响的意义上，教育提供. 我一直喜欢在城市工作和生活. It's truly been a privilege being so close to and engaging daily with the diverse cultures and perspectives of an urban setting. 

这个项目的挑战是什么?

The coronavirus complicated much of the community-forming and the feelings of academic belongingness that surely would have characterized the program in previous years. I was hopeful to meet people, to attend study groups and connect with my peers. 虽然我很难过被剥夺了这些机会, 但我还是很幸运能在堪萨斯大学继续我的学业, 在这段时间里，我们中的许多人肯定感到难以驾驭. 

这个项目有什么好处?

The in-person classroom experience offered by the program was a major benefit. 我也是一个非常注重实践的人, 动觉学习者, and UMKC prioritizes placing their students in the right schools immediately to ensure they’re a good fit for this career. 我在第一年的教学中充满了自信, with no small thanks to the amount of experience and practice I’d had in KC schools during my undergraduate study. 

你的大学项目对你有什么启发?

UMKC's Curriculum and Instruction program inspired me to begin educating myself on how to best serve English learners in the classroom and how to be culturally-sustaining in urban-setting schools. I learned the importance of connecting with families of students and constantly addressing my own bias. Seeing my professors in action was also a significant motivation to continue pursuing my master’s and eventually a doctorate degree in Education. 没有强者的榜样和指引, 聪明又欢迎UMKC的教授, 她们中的许多人都是研究领域的知名女性, I don’t know if I could have seen myself continuing my educational journey.

进入大学后，你对自己有什么了解?

Throughout high school I attached much of my self-worth to test scores. It's only since entering college that I gained a sense of academic ownership and the intellectual empowerment that followed my autonomy of class choice and the pursuit of my own research interests. 我知道我很聪明, that I am worthy--unapologetically--of a place in educational settings. It has felt empowering to have built up confidence and a sense of belonging at UMKC. 

What has the Women’s Council Graduate Assistance Fund support enabled you to do?

我参加了在雅典举行的OMEP会议, 在希腊，我有幸和我的导师一起代表UMKC, Dr. Ekaterina Strekalova-Hughes. 我们介绍了 Culturally Sustaining 有创意的 Development in an Urban Project-Based and Arts-Integrated School这是我在UMKC荣誉学院(UMKC Honors College)进行的本科研究.

The Women’s Council Graduate Assistance Fund enabled me to present at this conference free of financial stress, and to collaborate and confidently share my research with teachers from across the world. 

What do you hope to take from your experiences at UMKC into your professional career?

I hope to maintain and build upon the relationships I’ve made with UMKC professors and peers. 无论顺境还是逆境，彼此依赖, 我们每个人都知道当老师的日子是怎样的, 教会了我不必去寻找灵感和动力, 或者简单的友好支持.