Emily Bogansky, ’19

I will be teaching Kindergarten in my own classroom at J.W. Catharine in the School District of Philadelphia!

I first learned that there were open positions in the Philadelphia School District by doing a lot of research online. I knew that there would be on-campus interviews coming up, and I wanted to be prepared. I was able to personally meet a recruiter at a meeting held at SJU, which confirmed my interest in the District.

I knew that I loved Philadelphia, but I wasn't positive if I could handle the challenges of working in a high-trauma, urban neighborhood. The more I studied at SJU, the more I recognized that I had the tools and resources to be successful, I just had to believe in myself. It was very evident that my professors believed in me by encouraging me to go to every interview and develop diverse skills. In addition to my academics, I was also driven by the other passions that I found at SJU that inspired my compassion, strength, and resilience for finding the hope in the world through education.

My freshman year, I was in a Sociology Service-Learning course, which really impacted my decision to change my major. I also completed my field experiences and Student Teaching at SJU. All of which confirmed that I was doing what I was supposed to be doing.