The UW–Madison School of Education offers academic excellence in areas spanning the arts, health, and education. We are a proud community of innovative leaders, creative thinkers, and fearless trailblazers. Our talented students are committed to making their college experience a meaningful journey that aligns with their interests and helps them achieve their future goals.
Following is a Q&A with Nicky Westerlund, who is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education and Theatre with a certificate in ESL and graduating in spring 2028.
What grade/subject would you like to teach? I wish I had stronger preferences to narrow down my options, but right now I’m really open to anything! I’ve always heard that you have to be a certain kind of person to work with middle schoolers — and I definitely am (that kind) — so maybe I’ll take one for the team and end up with grades 6–8. My goals as an educator focus more on teaching altruism and generosity — values needed in any discipline — but science has also been calling my name recently. VlogBrother and Science Communicator Hank Green defines science as, “anytime you’re listening to the universe and learning from what you hear back.” Isn’t that what we’re all doing?
Why did you pursue your teaching certification through UW–Madison? In high school I didn’t care about which school I went to, I just wanted to teach. I picked Madison for convenience and cost — but oh boy am I glad to be here. While I didn’t find out about the program’s No. 1 status until I was already enrolled, I’ve now learned there are some brilliant minds and compassionate souls working in and around this school. (Lookin’ at you, Kathi Koppa!)
What inspired you to become a teacher? At the end of high school I took a look at the world and wondered how I could create the most joy and reduce the most suffering. Teaching was clear, but I had a teacher who really inspired me. My high school physics teacher, Mr. Johnson, showed me that school isn’t everything by integrating “life chats” into each day. He reminded me that I’ve got a life to be living, not a list of expectations to fulfill. We learned about why sleep is important, how to solve problems, and other important ideas, and now, even though I don’t remember the principles of thermodynamics, I know to take care of myself. Now I get to teach that to someone else.
What role did the Teacher Pledge play in your decision to come to UW–Madison? I wouldn’t be here without it! Like I mentioned previously, cost and distance to home were the main reasons I applied, since I was so unaware of the program’s excellence. My mom came to the United States from a small village in Ukraine to help others through language and education, and my dad has spent his life in education and ministry, both of which show up in the five lowest paying degrees. I’ve always expected to be living frugally as a teacher, but opportunities like the Teacher Pledge are giving me hope of pursuing my goals in education and beyond.
Anything else you value about the School of Education or your program that you’d like to share with others who are considering it? The School of Education really cares about its students. So often, departments and administrations are too busy “in the clouds” to worry about us (students) down here, but I could talk about the School of Education faculty and staff all day. On top of what you’d expect from a department, like academic support, the School of Education has many features I could list, but I’ll just rattle off a couple: the GOAT study spaces in MERIT Library and the top floor of Educational Sciences, the hotspots of generosity in the CCBC and the Elementary Education Student Lounge (with snacks from Kathi Koppa, outta her own pocket!), and the lovely rehearsal spaces and Theatre Student Lounge in the Vilas Hall basement. Shoutout to all of the little departments in the School of Ed that don’t always get the spotlight like Dance, RPSE, and Counseling Psychology.
Do you have any tips for students thinking about how to maximize their experience?
- From the wise words of popstar and mammal rights activist, Gazelle, “Try Everything.” There are over 1,000 clubs, 50,000 Students, and 30,000 Faculty and Staff. Get lunch with your wise professors (Carl Grant), shoot an email to your friendly instructors (Kerry Kretchmar), send a fun video or tell someone that you appreciate them (Erin Edgington), anything.
- Force yourself to relax. Yes you could go for every internship and degree and job and meeting, but if you’re doing all of this for your own success, you’ll burn out, and if you’re doing all of this to make everyone happy, aren’t you a part of ‘everyone’? Unfortunately we live in a world with a lot of darkness, and we’re powerless to most of it, but what we CAN do is create small pockets of hope for others, or ourselves, to use as fuel to rise up and push through. If you’re looking for a place to help, check out the Open Seat Food Pantry — they need and deserve your support.
Can you tell us about a time when an academic advisor helped you? I’m lucky to have worked with several advisors while navigating the Teacher Pledge, theatre certification, graduation, and overall scope of my career, but the main folks that have served me are Academic Advisor Mary Thompson-Shriver and Teacher Pledge Program Manager Carly Marco. Those two are masters of their craft and always come prepared.
Can you tell us about a time you connected with someone at the Career Center? Given the national teacher shortage, I feel confident about my job after graduation, but Zack Minnier, a career and internship advisor and specialist in education, gave me many valuable resources and helped focus my trajectory on the opportunities that I might have during and in-between semesters.