A Q&A with Education Major Emily Emery

Education major Emily Emery ’22 delves into changing her major, the best parts of living on campus, and offers some advice to future students.

Q: How has the Upside-Down Curriculum enhanced your education?

A: The Upside-Down Curriculum allowed me to find what I am passionate about. I started as a Computer Networking & Cybersecurity student and was able to take classes in that major right away, which showed me it was not the path I wanted to take. The teachers and classes were amazing, but it wasn’t something that I felt passionate about. Since everyone takes major-specific classes, I was able to talk to friends and my advisor to determine what might be a better path.

As a Cybersecurity & Computer Networking student, I came to the realization that I would love to help students find their passions. That made me think of teaching computer science and promoting more representation in STEM fields, and I decided to switch majors to fulfill those goals; to help students develop and seek out their passions.

The opportunities that I have explored allowed me to test out different options and see what I might be interested in. I have also had opportunities to talk to different professionals to get an idea of what various positions do and what I like and dislike about them. Champlain has been supportive in connecting me with people to help me achieve the goals needed to get a position in my preferred field.

Q: What’s the best thing about living on campus?

A: My favorite part about living on campus is the communities you make. Most of the best friends I’ve made at Champlain came from my first year in Pearl Hall. A couple of friends have been added through the years, but my experiences in my first-year hall will always be some of the best times I have had at college.

I love college in Burlington because of the restaurant and cafe scene. Every weekend, I try a new restaurant or cafe and it gives me a nice little treat at the end of each week. My senior year, I got to live at the 194 St. Paul Apartments, a five-minute walk to Church Street. It has made it so much easier to get out and explore different restaurants.

Q: How has Core changed your perspective?

Core has really opened my eyes to a global perspective. Before, I only looked at the global issues through a historical lens, whereas Core helped show me how the world is interconnected and how we might learn from other communities and cultures. Core also showed me how to learn in different forms. The traditional reading and lecture-style classes do not appeal to me, but taking Core allowed me to study global ideas through various ideas like movies, cryptids, and walking. These are different perspectives I had not considered before and influenced me to dive deeper into those topics and further my education.

My favorite Core experience was going to the University Mall with my Bodies: Walking class. This was a meaningful experience because we looked at the accessibility of the mall. This included how wide the doorways and aisles were in stores, how many restrooms there were, how many exits, and how many places there were to rest. It brought a lot of what we learned in class to real life and explained the implications of what we were learning about.

Q: What advice do you have for students thinking about coming to Champlain for college?

A: Keep an open mind! You may think you know exactly what you want to do in the future, and then you’ll come to Champlain and see all of the different opportunities that interest you. Take people up on those opportunities. Who knows, you might find something that you are exceptionally passionate about!

Interested in our Education major? Check it out!