“I knew that Ohio State Mansfield had a very good education program, and it was literally right across the street from where I was going, so I enrolled,” she said.
As a non-traditional student, obtaining a four-year degree was not an easy task for Madelyn, who made another big discovery toward the latter half of her education that required her to make big adjustments.
“It was definitely challenging. I found out I was pregnant in the spring of 2023, right before spring break, and I was very busy with courses. It was a good kind of busy, but I ended up having to take a full year off from my coursework.”
Difficult timing
The timing was not ideal. Despite her diligent notetaking, being away from campus for a year made it difficult to retain all of the relevant information needed to complete the course. And the challenges didn’t stop when Madelyn returned to campus the following spring.
“I still had full-time classes while also being in the field and having a baby, so it was just a lot to juggle,” she said. “So, trying to find a balance between school and home while also having a one-year-old was difficult.”
Thankfully, the staff in the education department made it so that upon Madelyn’s return, she had the support that she needed to succeed.
“They made it so that I didn’t have to worry about those things. There were no extra worries because they were just so down to earth. They get that life happens, regardless of whether you want it to or not.”
Driven to succeed
Red Wood, education field experience coordinator, said that while Prise had unique challenges, it did not affect her success in class.
“Maddy is quite unique in that she is a ‘non-traditional’ student and came into our educator preparation program from a different profession – but none of that affected her drive to become a Primary Education classroom teacher,” said Wood.
“Maddy has been an excellent student and a quality student teacher; her commitment to her students and her profession, work ethic, depth of knowledge, and creativity all point to her being on the path to becoming an exceptional professional educator.”
During the fall semester, Madelyn has been working as a student teacher at Shelby Elementary, an experience that she has greatly valued, and she looks forward to a long-term substitute teaching position at the same school in late spring.
When Madelyn reflects on her time at Ohio State Mansfield, a big takeaway is the close-knit community on campus.
“I appreciate the fact that I still get the Ohio State degree and curriculum but on a smaller, more intimate level, so I have a consistent cohort and consistent professors, so it’s easier to build relationships, and those relationships, in turn, create a much fuller and well-rounded education,” she said. “Relationship building is so important, and I think that is what makes the Mansfield campus special. It’s like the best of everything.”
