Alumni Spotlight: Laura Rhode
Laura Rhode, Early Childhood Education Program Graduate
“If your passion is working with young children, Southwest Tech is a great place to begin your career as an early childhood educator. My Early Childhood Education degree from Southwest Tech has been priceless to my profession as a teacher.”
Laura had young children and operated a child care center. Her goal was to give the families in her child care center the best quality care possible and she enrolled in Southwest Tech’s Early Childhood Education program to do so.
“I chose Southwest Tech because of the convenience and quality programming. The flexible structure allowed me to care for my children, operate a day care, and take evening classes.”
After completing the Early Childhood Education program, she decided to continue her education utilizing one of Southwest Tech’s many transfer agreements and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Elementary Education with a minor in Early Childhood from the University of Wisconsin-Platteville.
“The transfer agreement between Southwest Tech and the UW System was essential to my career as a teacher.”
Laura is currently a kindergarten teacher at Ridgeway Elementary School in Ridgeway, Wisconsin.
In April of 2014, Laura was awarded the Pre-Service Educator Mentor Award from the Wisconsin Association of Colleges for Teacher Education. This award recognizes an educator who has demonstrated a sustained pattern of mentoring pre-service educators for at least five years.
“I love the daily challenges and the daily rewards of being a teacher. You get to help students achieve more than they ever thought possible. Most of all, the bonds you make with the students and their parents are priceless.”
What advice would Laura give to an aspiring teacher considering Southwest Tech?
“Being able to work with a group of professionals who have the same goal of educating children to be lifelong learners is incredibly rewarding. The staff at Southwest Tech is outstanding, caring, and highly qualified and the hands-on practical knowledge you receive is applicable to a teacher’s classroom.”