Like Nothing She Imagined
“I arrived thinking I wanted to pursue a completely different career. One education course changed my life.”
– Chapel Carter ’19
Hometown: Colorado Springs, Colorado
Major: Elementary Education
Endorsements: Reading and social studies
Scholarships: Presidential, Trustee, Entrepreneurship, Central Heritage, Journey, Philip J. Harmelink
Campus Activities: Central Teacher Academy, Volleyball captain, writing tutor, math grader
Career Goal: Make young students feel valued and foster a passion for learning.
Chapel Carter ’19 is a long way from home. But a “family atmosphere” drew her to Central—first with her volleyball team, then in the education department.
Carter spent her final semester student teaching at Northstar Elementary School in Knoxville, Iowa. It’s something she never imagined.
“I stumbled into the treasure of education while at Central,” she says. She was planning to major in business administration or psychology but took an introductory education class at the request of her mother.
“The class itself was good, but what really sold me was going out into the schools and observing the classrooms,” Carter says. “I just fell in love with it. How did I not know I wanted to be an elementary teacher?”
Carter joined Central Teacher Academy as a second-semester sophomore. She’s been a quick study.
“My first time ever teaching a lesson, I did pretty much everything wrong,” she says. “I was so nervous that I forgot what I’d been taught.
“CTA gives you so many hours in a classroom that you’re able to speak in front of a class knowing you’re a capable educator. It allows you to have a better grasp of what teaching is like. It really prepared me for student teaching.”
A future Carter couldn’t picture four years ago now is here. She wants to teach in elementary school in Iowa or in the Nashville area (she was born in Tennessee).
“I arrived thinking I wanted to pursue a completely different career,” she says. “One education course changed my life.”