courtney hansen

Courtney Hansen, a 2012 BVW graduate, attended CAPS from Fall 2010 through Spring 2012. She took full advantage of the Teacher Education program, enrolling in 2020 Instructor, 2020 Internship, Educational Technology and Gaming and Teacher Education Independent Study.Courtney continued her education at Avila University’s School of Education, graduating in December 2015.

Courtney visited CAPS recently and we had the opportunity to conduct an interview. Here is What she had to say:

Did your CAPS experiences help you understand what you wanted to pursue in college and where you wanted to go? I have wanted to be a teacher for as long as I can remember, but during my first years of high school, I also looked into pursuing a degree in nursing. I joined CAPS with the plan to try both the teaching and medical strands out in hopes of deciding which path was the right one for me, but my first observations in the education strand confirmed that teaching was the right choice for me.

Were there things at CAPS that helped prepare you for success in college? The experiences and opportunities I had at CAPS confirmed teaching was the right field for me and allowed me to get a jumpstart on some of the coursework and concepts I would need to get my degree. Additionally, I learned all of those “other” skills that most people aren’t lucky enough to be directly taught, such as resume-writing, interviewing, and presenting. The networking opportunities I had in CAPS and the associated skills that I learned have opened up several different opportunities for me the past few years, such as internships and jobs.

What was your biggest take-away from your CAPS experience? The real-world experiences that CAPS provides are invaluable. I learned SO much about teaching and had opportunities to practice instructional strategies, technology integration, and even classroom management before I had even graduated high school.

Now that you have graduated from Avila, what are your immediate plans? I obtained my Missouri substitute teaching license two years ago and have gone back to subbing now that I am done with school. I also have a long-term substitute position during 4th quarter. I have filed my paperwork to be a certified elementary teacher in both Kansas and Missouri, and I have begun filling out applications and interviewing for positions next fall as well.