"I was a shy student, but my professors encouraged me to find my voice and participate in group discussions."
Krissan McDonald didn’t always want to be a teacher.
"I started off in nursing school at Dominican College and the University of New Rochelle, but the sight of blood made me faint and I dropped out," she admits. "I was still eager to be in a helping profession, so I switched gears and enrolled in the education program at Monroe.
"I was a shy student and would sit in the back of the classroom," she continues. "My professors encouraged me to find my voice and participate in group discussions. The smaller class size and sense of community also helped me feel more comfortable and at home on campus. Everyone was learning together and we became a close-knit group.”
Krissan did her student teaching at several public schools in NYC, and today is a third grade teacher at a charter school in the South Bronx. She received her bachelor’s degree in education summa cum laude from Monroe in 2018 and is currently enrolled in the Master of Arts in Teaching program at Monroe.
“Monroe helped me learn what it is to become a teacher,” she said. “Now, I have my dream job because of Monroe!”
