School of Education senior Rebecca Weiland discovered her passion for teaching through a summer job as a swim coach.
The Grosse Pointe, Michigan, native said during her first few U-M semesters, she initially considered pursuing an English degree and possibly attending law school.
But the summer after her freshman year, Weiland headed back to Grosse Pointe to coach the city youth swimming team she worked with and competed on in previous years.
“It just made me realize that the time I was spending during the summer working with the swimmers was when I was definitely the most happy,” she said.
“Being able to be a part of that improvement and success you got to see over the course of the season, especially in the younger swimmers who didn’t come in with a lot of experience, that was definitely what specifically made me think this coaching and teaching position is something that I could see myself doing for the long haul.”
At U-M, Weiland, an elementary education major with a focus in language arts, completed her student teaching term in an Ann Arbor Public Schools kindergarten classroom; served on the executive board of the Kappa Delta Pi education honor society; oversaw new member education for her sorority; and coached local elementary students as part of Girls on the Run, a nonprofit that teaches young girls life skills through interactive lessons and running games.
After graduation, Weiland hopes to teach in Ann Arbor or Grosse Pointe, preferably in a kindergarten class.
“I definitely want to be a teacher that kids will want to come back and visit when they’re in middle, high school and beyond, ” Weiland said. “Especially in the position of a kindergarten teacher, I want to be that teacher for them that turns them on to learning and makes learning fun for them.”
