Lisa Mishriky has always been interested in the field of education.
“I’ve always wanted to be a teacher,” she says. “The more experiences I had in classrooms, either tutoring or assisting teachers, the more I fell in love with teaching.”
Mishriky, of Portland, Conn., graduates this weekend from the University of Connecticut’s Neag School of Education, with an integrated bachelor’s and master’s degree. Her master’s is in curriculum and instruction. She will be certified to teach English for secondary-school grades seven though twelve.
“I had a lot of really good experiences in high school with English teachers,” she says. “They inspired me to think about how to use literature in learning about other aspects of the world, thereby learning about ourselves in addition to other cultures.”
Mishriky’s continued interest in cultural diversity in college led her to participate in a two-month summer study abroad program in Egypt. There she delved into her own cultural roots, learned some Arabic, and immersed herself in a new culture.
She is thankful for the chances UConn has given her to explore her major. “I’ve loved my experience at UConn,” says Mishriky. “It’s given me a lot of opportunities to do things I probably wouldn’t have otherwise done.”
In addition to her Study Abroad program, Mishriky was a student teacher at East Hartford Middle School, and she is finishing a graduate internship at Bulkeley High School in Hartford.
“My experiences, in particular with the Neag School of Education, have been really great,” she says. “I think the best part of the program is how many field experiences we have where we’re actually out in schools, making a difference on a daily basis.”
Through her field experiences, Mishriky feels confident as an educator, and she knows she can rely on her peers and fellow graduates as a resource during her first year of teaching.
Mishriky is eager to find a job she can put her “heart and soul into.” In addition to being a successful English teacher, she hopes to continue traveling and learning Arabic, and would like to teach English in developing countries during her summers off.
