Middle school teacher Brooke Boznango ’16 recently returned to the University of Findlay to share advice and insights with current education students as a continuation of the College of Education’s Visiting Educator series.
Boznango, who earned a middle childhood education degree from UF in 2016, is in her 11th year of education. She currently teaches science and social studies at Van Wert Middle School. Formerly, she has taught sixth grade language arts.
Drawing from more than a decade of experience, she emphasized that perseverance pays off because the reward is priceless.
“Hold on, it’s a ride! You never know what you’re going to get. But it’s worth every hard experience you go through,” Boznango said. “So, keep pushing, keep going forward, be authentically you, and be ready for the ups and downs.”
She continued with her words of encouragement by noting that learning how to teach doesn’t stop upon graduating – it’s more of a starting point.
“It’s okay to not be perfect in the beginning. As teachers, we hold ourselves to the standard of being everything we can for our students, and I think sometimes we just need that reminder that we’re human,” she stated. “Your first year might be a little rough, and that’s okay, but you’re going to learn and you’re going to grow. You’re going to learn from them just as much as they learn from you.”
That mindset of continual learning is one Boznango said was instilled in her during her time at Findlay. She credits her journey as a UF student with giving her the foundation she needed to navigate the challenges of her first years in the classroom.
“The experiences that you have here at the University allow you to dig into what it means to teach and get involved with kids,” she said. “I would not be the teacher that I am today without the University and the people that are here.”
Even though she has many teachers in her family, education was not initially Boznango’s intended career path. She originally planned to study occupational therapy. But after being introduced to the University’s education program, she quickly found herself drawn to it.
“I just knew that I needed to be a part of the education program,” she said. “The people here are incredible. I’ve made lifelong friendships, I still get to be friends with them now.”
Returning to Findlay offered Boznango an opportunity to step outside her normal routine and reconnect with the enthusiasm she felt when she was an education student herself.
“To be able to talk to these future educators and see the excitement they have for the classroom reminds me of the love that I have for it,” she said. “The things that go through your day-to-day in the classroom don’t feel as heavy when I step back on campus again.”
For students who are considering education but may not yet be certain that teaching is the right path, Boznango encouraged them to check out the program for themselves.
“I’d say come see it, come talk to the people,” she said. “If you’re considering anywhere at all for education, this is the place to be. “[Findlay] sees you as the future teacher you are going to be and the impact you’re going to have on kids, and that makes all the difference. You’re not just tuition, you’re a person who is going to affect lives.”
Because of that difference, Boznango remains grateful for the decision she made to change course and pursue education.
“UF set that fire in my heart to want to continue to learn for my kids, for myself, and to be the best version of myself for my kids,” she said. “It’s a life-changing experience being able to come here and get your education.”
For more information on the University of Findlay’s College of Education programs, visit www.findlay.edu/education.
