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 Abby Stoa, who is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Educational Policy Studies and English.
How did you decide you wanted to become a UW–Madison Badger?
I knew UW’s reputation was really good academically, and everyone I knew who went to UW was like, “Oh my gosh, it’s awesome. You’ll love it!” So I just decided to come here.
I remember visiting over my spring break, just my mom and I. I remember seeing the lake and the Terrace and everything the city had to offer. I thought that this was a really good place to not only get a degree, but also just live. Obviously, you’re going to college to be a student, but in my opinion, it’s important to consider if you actually like the campus.
How did you hear about the Educational Policy Studies major?
I was originally an Elementary Education major which requires you to take a few educational policy classes. I really fell in love with those courses so I decided to change things up a little bit. Instead of going right into teaching, I want to get my degree in Educational Policy Studies to learn about education itself before becoming a teacher. I then added on my English major because I want to end up teaching that later. When I graduate, I’ll either go to grad school or get a teaching license through a different pathway in Wisconsin.
Was there a class that had a major impact on you?
There were two classes I took in the same semester that made me switch my major to Educational Policy Studies completely. They were EDPOL 412: History of American Education and EDPOL 300: School and Society. EDPOL 412 was about how education came to be from the colonial time period in the United States through the present day. EDPOL 300 is a class that makes us ask questions like, ‘how does our society influence our schools?’ and ‘how do our schools influence our society?’ all within the context of the United States. Both courses were really interesting to me.
What do you value about the School of Education or your program that you’d like to share with others who are considering it?
I think it’s very clear that the educational policy professors care about their students and they care about their success. I know that I can count on them if I need help or guidance on something, and they’re all incredibly intelligent people and top of their league. It’s very inspiring to learn from them because they know what they’re doing. A lot of them have had experience teaching in a classroom so they’re not just grabbing things out of articles or hypothetical situations. They have real-world experience that they ground their teaching in, which is really helpful for me — not only as an Educational Policy Studies student, but as someone who wants to become a teacher.
Have you had the chance to use any of the Career Center resources at our School? If so, can you describe your experience?
I’ve only been to the Career Center a couple of times, but every time I’ve gone it’s been very helpful. I have worked with Zack Minnier, my career advisor, and he’s helped me apply for summer jobs, review my resume, and get my application ready for grad school. He’s been phenomenal. He’s very nice, very approachable, and really cares about my success, too.
Do you have tips for anyone who is starting college or transferring to a new one?
I think a lot of people picture college as, “the best years of your life,” and for me that’s 100% true. However, looking back when I was a freshman, it was so hard in the beginning because I was expecting to immediately click with everything and everyone on campus. My big advice is to be patient in getting used to the campus and meeting your people. Don’t put pressure on yourself to have it figured out, because nobody has everything figured out right away.
Do you have any tips for current students on how they can maximize their experience?
Make an effort to connect with professors, because they definitely want to connect with us. And go to office hours! I love going to office hours because it gives me the opportunity to connect with a professor on an individual basis. They’re all, in my opinion, very approachable.