Written By: Brenna Large
If Chelsea Murdock could sum up her experience as a student at Ball State so far, it would be “impactful.” From the classroom to her extracurriculars, the sophomore Teaching Major in English/Language Arts wasted no time in making the most of her college experience.
Chelsea decided to attend Ball State University during her senior year of high school, feeling that it was the perfect mid-sized university to pursue her undergraduate education.
“Coming from a larger high school, I wanted an environment where I could immerse myself but wouldn’t feel isolated.” Chelsea felt like she could find her home among the kind people she had met along the way. “And I did!”
Deciding to become an English Secondary Education major felt like an intuitive choice for her college experience. Chelsea always knew that she wanted to help people from a young age, and she soon found her calling in her high school courses.
“My English teacher always said, ‘This is English class; we feel,’ and it was supposed to mean that as much as we are learning about the curriculum, we were learning about how to be a good person.” For her, nothing rang more true about her soon-to-be major and a future career at the intersection of advocacy and literature.
From the beginning of her time at Ball State University, Chelsea loved her selected program and appreciated the structure of the secondary education programs. One element she has particularly enjoyed is Ball State’s practicum teaching opportunities for its students. These programs allow students to apply their learning in real-world settings, getting them into the classroom during their first year on campus.
Chelsea explained that the experience has been incredibly eye-opening for her. “Secondary education students are amazing, and I learn so much from them. In the classroom, I have the opportunity to do hands-on activities with the students, applying different theories I have learned while gaining so much wisdom from my mentor teachers.”
Part of what has defined her impactful experiences at Ball State University has also been her extracurricular involvements, which she credits for opening her up to a wide variety of opportunities that she never thought were possible. Chelsea is currently serving as the Chief of Staff for the Student Government Association, is an Excellence in Leadership Ambassador, and an inductee of the Ruth Peters Chapter of the National Residence Hall Honorary (NRHH), amongst other involvements. Chelsea has also been recognized as a Top 50 student as part of the Ball State Foundation’s Top 100 Students Award.
While she always knew education was her passion, “Ball State University has opened me up to other areas of education I was unaware of, including student affairs, administrative roles, and more.” Her post-graduation plans currently include pursuing a Master of Arts in Student Affairs Administration in Higher Education (SAAHE), before entering the workforce to teach inside the classroom.
Rounding out her incredible experiences thus far at Ball State University, Chelsea was fortunate enough to receive the opportunity from the Fulbright Commission to attend the UK Summer Insitute program in “Arts, Activism, and Social Justice” at the University of Bristol in England.
“In Bristol we spent three weeks exploring one of England’s greatest cultural epicenters, learning about international culture, with a specific focus on the African Diaspora. We were able to take that knowledge and relate it back to our studies back at home, which for me meant learning the best ways to teach students about literature related to the African Diaspora.”
When asked what advice she would share with people that are considering pursuing a secondary education degree, she said, “Every day will be something new, and as scary or nerve-wracking as that may sound, that should be one of the most exciting possibilities. We have a really strong interdisciplinary set of programing. You will learn everything about education: from various schools of thought, pedagogical practices, hands-on lesson plans, and even have the opportunity to explore differing educational methods and find what feels right for you. Secondary education allows you to immerse students as they are discovering who they are as people, so the realm of possibility for how you can impact them is endless, and your impact on their lives is priceless. This is not an easy field, but it pays off in such an insurmountable way.”