For Mara Burkholder, the desire to become a teacher began early — much earlier than most college students can remember.

“Ever since first grade, I wanted to be a teacher.”

Burkholder, an English teaching and art education major at the University of Northern Iowa, credits her grandmother — an elementary teacher who worked with multiple grade levels — with showing her the lasting impact educators can have.

Originally from a small town in Iowa, Burkholder has lived in several places, including Illinois and Indiana, and even spent time in Chicago. When it came time to choose a college, she was looking for a balance.

“I was looking for something in between,” she said. “When I visited UNI, it just felt more like my small hometown.”

The university’s student-to-faculty ratio and welcoming environment stood out right away.

“You’ve got to be very personal with the people that you were working with,” Burkholder said. “I know all my professors pretty closely, and they’ve helped support me through everything.”

Burkholder says UNI’s hands-on approach to teacher education has been one of the most valuable parts of her experience. Those experiences prepare students for real classrooms and build confidence long before student teaching.

“I have done it,” she said. “So I know when I’m in front of a classroom that I’m not going to have any problem.”

She also credits UNI’s placement coordinators and mentor teachers with helping her build a lasting support system.

“The community you get to build and the support system that you’re going to carry with you after you’re done at UNI — that’s my favorite thing,” she said.

Working closely with experienced educators has given her insight into both teaching and life beyond the classroom.

“You get to see small things like how to organize your room and your day with colored bins and labels,” Burkholder said. “Small things that you would never think about.”

As she looks ahead to her own classroom, Burkholder says UNI has prepared her through both experience and encouragement.

“It’s community and confidence,” she said. “Those are two great things that UNI’s teaching program really helps instill.”