Student’s service translates into career

Amy Smith had her sights set on Waynesburg University since she was a young teenager. Years later, just when her college search was turning up empty, Waynesburg sent her a letter – “God is calling you to Waynesburg.”

That sealed the deal. She left Copley, Ohio, to pursue a degree in forensic science at Waynesburg. Soon, however, she realized she wanted more from her career than working in a lab all day.

“I love talking with people, and I love science and serving others, and I thought I’d put those passions together and become a teacher,” said Smith, now a biology secondary education major.

Smith’s passion for service has become the centerpiece of her college career, in part because of her role as a Bonner
Scholar. The Bonner Scholar Program provides scholarships to students who have a heart for service, and the Scholars serve hundreds of hours each year. Smith loves the Bonner Program and found it easy to incorporate into her teaching style as she progressed through hands-on experiences in education.

“In service, I learn to be compassionate and to listen to others, and I do that in my teaching,” said Smith. “So that really helped me become closer with my students and know more about myself as a teacher. I grew a lot as an educator because I finally decided to put others before myself.”

Smith has had the chance to put both her teaching skills and her passion for science to use on the multiple mission trips she’s participated in at the university. In addition to working with the Pittsburgh Project and taking a trip to Jamaica to work with students who have intellectual disabilities, Smith taught science concepts to children during
a mission trip to Arkansas. While she came into college a bit unsure about biology and science in general, Smith said Dr. Janet Paladino, associate professor of biology at the university, secured her passion for the subject. Not only did Smith become more confident in her abilities in biology thanks to Paladino, but she also became truly excited
about science.

“I want to take a lot of her teaching style and techniques and put those into my classroom because she really got me excited to go to class and motivated me to do better. I think that’s what teachers should do,” said Smith.

Between her passion for science and her heart for service, Smith’s entrance into the world of teaching has been a smooth and valuable experience. She believes the Bonner Program has played a large role in defining her time at Waynesburg and said the impact she’s made on the community surrounding the university is her favorite memory of
the last four years.

“One of our missions as Bonner Scholars is to try to bridge the gap between Waynesburg University and Waynesburg as a community,” said Smith. “Working with students at [my service sites] I got to see kids grow through the program and how much they changed and how much of an impact I was making.”

Now, Smith is looking toward the future. As graduation nears, she is applying for teaching jobs both in Pennsylvania and in Ohio where she can continue to bring the skills she learned and the passions she nurtured at Waynesburg into
the classroom.