Hello potential QU grad students! My name is Melanie Lubin, and I am currently in my final year of graduate school, pursuing my Master's of Art in Teaching, Elementary Education. I am from Massachusetts, and I received my bachelor's degree at Smith College in 2008, where I majored in film studies and anthropology. The following year, I pursued my love of working with children, and got a job at Boston Children's Museum as an exhibit interpreter. It was through this job that my passion for education solidified, and I realized that my dream was to teach elementary school. It was during my year at Boston Children's Museum that I began researching graduate programs in elementary education.

I knew that I wanted to go to graduate school in Connecticut, since my boyfriend (now fiancée) was there, working on his degree. I researched several different graduate programs in the New Haven area, and all the while, Quinnipiac began to emerge as the most perfect choice. I researched the program online quite a bit, and then I attended a graduate information session. The two women who spoke (who were both, at the time, in the MAT program) were informative and enthusiastic. When I came to Quinnipiac for my interview, I was an awe of the beauty of the campus, and the kindness of the MAT faculty and staff with whom I met.

My day, as a Quinnipiac MAT student, is a busy one! Every weekday, I go to my internship school, where some days I am a substitute teacher, and other days I am helping teachers and students in a variety of different grades and subjects. The internship program is such an important aspect of the QU MAT program, and this was a large part of why I chose QU. For the two years that we MAT students are working on our Master's degrees, we are also set up with placement at an elementary school. Last year, I worked in North Haven, CT, and this year, my internship is in New Haven. The differences between these two schools are vast, and I have learned so much about the suburban versus urban elementary  school experience. Through the internship program, I have been provided with real world knowledge and skills, ones that I am eager to apply to my own future classrooms.

After working at my internship school, I go to class at QU. I find the academics at QU to be rigorous, fascinating, and engaging. I have formed close bonds with certain professors, and I intend to seek their support, advice, and feedback (about my own classrooms), long after I finish the program! The best part of class for me, though, is connecting with my friends and debriefing with them about their days and mine. In the MAT program, the same cohort of people take each class together, so the fifteen of us in my cohort have gotten very close. I am constantly going to these friends for ideas and guidance about education. Through the MAT program, I have made some best friends.

I look forward to keeping all of you potential MAT students updated during your graduate school search! Please feel free to contact me with any questions! mclubin@quinnipiac.edu

--Melanie Lubin

Melanie graduated in 2008 from Smith College with undergraduate degrees in film studies and anthropology. Subscribe to our feed for more posts from Melanie.