Melanie Solano, '13 '14 (M.S.)
Majors:
Education - Early Childhood and Special Education
Minors:
Autism Behavioral Studies, English, Faith-Justice Studies
Grad Degree:
Education M.S. - Reading Specialist, PK-12
ELS Endorsement PK-12
Wilson Reading System®
Outcome Opportunity:
Graduate/Professional School, I got a job!, Service Commitment, Student Teaching
Position:
Second Grade Teacher
Company/Organization:
Sabold Elementary School
Briefly describe your position.
"I am lucky enough to have received my dream job! I teach second grade at Sabold Elementary School in Springfield School District, Delaware County. I have a diverse class of 21 students of mixed ability levels. The coursework that I took at SJU, and my 11 PA teaching certifications, prepared me well for working with my students and differentiating instruction to meet their needs."
How did you first learn about or get connected to your current position?
"I am from Haverford, PA, which is about 15 minutes from SJU. My goal after graduation was to get a job teaching second grade in a nearby school district in Delaware or Montgomery County. I found that it was very difficult to land a full-time position with a contract in one of those school districts when I had no teaching experience besides subbing! Instead I got a contracted position teaching kindergarten in Coatesville Area School District in Chester County. I taught there for three years and LOVED it! I was a member of the district’s curriculum committee, a title-one after-school tutor, and a member of my school’s social committee. This past summer, a friend from SJU told me that her school was hiring. She gave me advice for the interview and demo lesson, and is now a wonderful colleague!"
How did your SJU education impact your position or professional goals?
"The Education Department at SJU fully prepared me to be a teacher. I had a field placement each semester that gave me first-hand experience planning lessons, differentiating instruction, and working with students. I had professors who cared about me and my professional goals. One professor encouraged me to volunteer at a math conference taking place at the Philadelphia Convention Center. During student teaching, I had wonderful mentors and supervisors who gave me feedback and taught me the value of reflection. When I stayed at SJU for graduate school, I completed a summer literacy workshop where I taught second graders reading strategies to increase their comprehension and metacognition skills. A professor asked me present with her at the TESOL-East conference where we created a presentation about teaching idioms to ELL students. I also got to plan a literacy conference with keynote speaker Dr. Richard Allington. All of my experiences were extremely valuable and things I referenced in my first job interview for a full-time teaching position."
Did you participate in any experiential learning activities while at SJU?
"I was very involved during my undergrad and graduate career at SJU! As any undergrad I worked as a Hawk Host (tour guide), Residential Assistant, and Service Site Coordinator for GESU. I was a member of Phi Sigma Pi, a co-ed fraternity. I worked as an academic tutor at the Learning Resource Center and a writing fellow at the Writing Center. I was also very involved in many Education clubs. I served as the president of Council for Exceptional Children (CEC). I was the secretary of the education honors society, Kappa Delta Pi. As a graduate student, I served as the president of Alpha Upsilon Alpha, the honor society of the International Literacy Association. One of the reasons I chose SJU, was because of their service-learning classes. I took three classes during my career that contained a service component. My favorite class was the Inside-Out Prison course at PICC. I learned about stereotypes and had an unforgettable experience. The summer before my senior year, I went on Semester at Sea and traveled in Central and South America. I had the opportunity to visit an elementary school in Peru and meet high school students in Belize."
What did you do after obtaining your undergraduate degree from SJU?
"I attended Saint Joseph's University in 2013-2014 for my Master's Degree. I went straight into the program from undergrad and went through the summer of 2014. I became certified as a reading specialist and ESL program specialist. I also began a Wilson Level One certification that I completed in the summer of 2015. All of these additional certifications helped me to land my current job at Sabold Elementary School. I still enjoy volunteering at SJU! I have worked as an alumni interviewer and a member of the Young Alumni group in Philadelphia. I have served as an education advisor on SJU Connects. I am always looking for more opportunities to volunteer with fellow Hawks and am proud that I chose SJU to complete both of my degrees!"