Students of MI: Ashley

“I was involved in Teacher Academy during my junior and senior years of high school in Traverse City. I wasn’t actually planning on going to a university, but the program really opened up my mind to becoming a teacher. I found myself applying to Saginaw Valley State University and felt like I was making the right choice when I visited the campus.

My hometown of Kingsley, MI is about the size of SVSU’s campus. Once I started getting to know people through marching band and my job as a campus tour guide, people often stopped me to say hi and chat. Once you get established here, it’s like being at home.

Marching band is like being in a club, and we spend a lot of time together. I liked marching band so much that I joined the pep and hockey bands during football’s off season. You wouldn’t expect it, but I got to know people in the student section during games, and they sing along when we play songs.

Money was the key factor for why I initially wasn’t sure if I would go to a university. I was working a minimum wage job in high school and didn’t think I was community college material, let alone university material. When I talked to someone in the financial aid office at Saginaw Valley, I realized I could make college possible for me, especially by working over the summer. Going to SVSU has helped me make strong connections with professors. Even if you don’t think college is for you, I recommend checking it out. When I become a teacher one day, I will know my time here was worth it.”

(Ashley, History Secondary Education, Saginaw Valley State University)

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