A UNI teaching major took this student around the world
A UNI teaching major took this student around the world
Tatiana Schaapherder’s UNI journey spanned four continents — and she wouldn’t have had it any other way.
From the U.S. Virgin Islands to Germany, Mozambique to Zambia and a little bit of Turkey somewhere in the middle, she embraced a truly global education while earning her degree at the University of Northern Iowa. Having grown up in an international school in Tanzania and spent her childhood traveling the world, Schaapherder is no stranger to adventure. Now, as she embarks on her first year teaching art in Australia, she carries with her the skills she gained at UNI — and the confidence earned through international experiences.
“I grew a lot while I was at UNI from the different things I was a part of but especially through the travel,” she said. “Nothing gives you confidence quite like solo travel.”
Teaching runs deep in the family. Her mother, Tammy, is also a UNI-educated educator, and many other relatives are teachers as well. Family vacations often turned into impromptu lessons taught by the teachers in the group.
Tatiana caught on at an early age. It was common for her to return home after school in Tanzania, change out of her uniform, dress up as a teacher and spend her evening pretending to run a classroom.
“Everyone in my family who's a teacher, loves being a teacher,” she said. “It was never a fallback career or a plan B because everyone had so much enthusiasm for the profession. And it was widely known if you want to be a teacher, UNI is an amazing school.”
One of Tatiana’s favorite stories growing up was hearing about the school her mom started in Mozambique many years before she was born — Beira International School. What began with just three students in the family home grew to 20 students in its first year.
“It wasn’t until I was in high school I understood my mom fully started it,” said Schaapherder. “I was like, ‘Why are you not more hyped about this? How can you bring it up so casually?’ After that, I really started asking questions.”
Today, Beira International School serves more than 500 students — all because one UNI-educated teacher believed in her vision.
“UNI gave me a solid basis in education and the confidence needed to start the school,” Tammy said. “In hindsight, I didn’t really know what I was getting myself into! Oh, to be young, naive, and full of gumption.
After hearing stories about her mom’s experiences creating the school, Tatiana set a goal: she wanted to teach at the school one day. She didn’t know how she would make it happen, but she was determined.
She finished high school in Clarinda, Iowa, before heading to Cedar Falls to attend UNI. Art is also in her blood, as her dad is a sculpture artist who made sure his children always had the tools they needed to express their creativity. So majoring in art education felt like a natural fit.
Everyone in my family who's a teacher, loves being a teacher. It was never a fallback career or a plan B because everyone had so much enthusiasm for the profession. And it was widely known if you want to be a teacher, UNI is an amazing school.
Her time at UNI was a combination of taking classes on campus, studying abroad, participating in National Student Exchange and studying online while living in Germany. When the time came for her to student teach, she knew the time had finally come for her to go to Mozambique and work in Beira International School. She was the first student teacher from UNI to work in the school.
“Everyone at UNI was so helpful in setting it all up.”
Like her mom before her, Schaapherder had to be resourceful. The school had no art program, so she built one from the ground up. When materials were scarce, she got creative — making paint from turmeric and sanitizer, and dye from beets and dragon fruit.
“Not having an art program was easily the biggest challenge, but also, I wouldn't trade it for anything, because it made me so much more confident as a teacher,” she said. “I know this is what I love. I know I'm passionate about this. I'm even more confident in the fact that I will provide for my students, and I will make sure they have a good lesson and a good curriculum and be excited about art and learning.”
Schaapherder's second student teaching experience took her to Zambia. She graduated in December and started a new position in Australia public schools in April. She’s already been to more than 30 countries and doesn’t plan to slow down her wanderlust lifestyle anytime soon.
“I don't plan on living in the U.S., really,” she said. “And I hope to teach at many international schools, specifically, because that's a really, really important thing to me is living in a very diverse community.”
