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EMILY STEVENS ‘17 teaches kindergarten through 2nd grade autistic support. Her students are significantly impacted by their autism, so her primary focus is working with them on communication and verbal behavior skills.
She says, “Most of the learning that my students do is driven by their own interests and curiosity, and my goal is to help them make sense of the things they encounter in their environment through that curiosity. The students that I work with impact my life in so many ways. They help me to laugh, to challenge myself, and to be curious about the world.”
A highlight of her experience at Lancaster Mennonite was the teachers and how they each took a genuine interest in helping her grow. “I hope to be the type of teacher that makes that kind of an impact on my students as well.” She especially loved social studies courses with Sheri Wenger. “I originally went into my undergraduate college experience planning on becoming a high school history teacher. God just had different plans.”
In addition, LM helped her to learn more about faith and pursue Jesus. She felt immersed in a “Christ-centered community and environment. I was constantly encouraged to be curious in my faith, to ask questions, and to continue to push myself.”
Emily experiences the importance of curiosity and creativity in education each day. She says that, “Without curiosity we wouldn’t be open to learning new things, to adapting our perspectives, and to growing as individuals. Without creativity, we wouldn’t have an outlet through which we can express our emotions, our faith, and ourselves.”
