Amanda O'Donnell

Current Position: Second Grade Teacher within the Archdiocese of Philadelphia

Story last Updated: Summer 2024

I have always dreamed of becoming a teacher since I was in elementary school. GMercyU’s School of Education has made this dream a reality and has truly prepared me for my career as a professional teacher

I visited several colleges and none of them matched up to how I felt after I visited GMercyU. GMercyU was the only school I applied to because I instantly knew it was the right choice and that I would want to spend the next four years here. The second I stepped foot on campus and interacted with faculty, I felt welcome and knew they would help me prepare for my career as a professional teacher.

The faculty at GMercyU are encouraging, understanding, and want the best for their students. I did not want to go to a school where I was just one in a sea of a thousand students. I wanted to have small classes where the faculty knew me by name. Choosing GMercyU was one of the best choices I have made.

GMercyU’s School of Education

I have had a wonderful experience in GMercyU’s Early Education and Special Education program. The School of Education is very welcoming and makes me feel like I am a part of a family. I felt like my professors, especially Ms. Pierantozzi, have prepared me very well for my career as a professional teacher.

I love how GMercyU enables their education majors to have numerous experiences in classrooms through TAP (Teacher Apprentice Program) and class assignments as soon as their first semester on campus. Through these experiences, I was able to observe teachers, assist those teachers, and teach numerous lessons in various subjects, grades, and schools. It helped me gain connections, strengthen my passion for teaching, and practice the strategies I learned in my education classes.

Internship Experience

During the summer before my senior year, I interned at the Churchville Nature Center. In Ms. Pierantozzi’s Teaching Science for Pre-K to 4 class, one of our assignments was to visit a nature center and create activities based on our visit. As I was completing my assignment for the class, I noticed in Churchville’s newsletter that they were looking for educators to teach in their recreated Lenape Native American village.

As soon as saw this, I thought it was the perfect job for me because I love history and teaching. That day I contacted the director of the program and soon after I got the job. Schools and summer programs come to the Churchville Nature Center for field trips. I led and taught the students seven stations that explain the Lenape way of life. Each of these stations has visuals and hands-on activities which gives students an idea of what it was like to live like a Lenape Native American 500 years ago.

The job has taught me so much about myself as a future educator and has allowed me to apply the strategies I learned in my classes at GMercyU. It has also strengthened my love for history and teaching. Fortunately, I was given the opportunity to continue to work here throughout the school year.

Looking Ahead to Graduation

As an education major, it is crucial to pass the Basic Skills tests and the PECTs to be certified as a teacher. Stephanie Alderfer, who works in GMercyU’s ARC (Academic Resource Center) helped me gain the confidence I needed to take those tests as soon as possible. Now that I’m in my last year, I can say that I have passed and qualified for all of those tests and I have one less thing to worry about before I graduate in May 2019.

I have always known and dreamed of becoming a teacher since I was in elementary school. GMercyU’s School of Education has made this dream a reality and has truly prepared me for my career as a professional teacher. I do not feel like I will be stepping blindly into my classroom as a first-year teacher next fall.

Life Updates

I got married in 2020. My husband and I just had our first baby at the end of May 2024, so I will be taking time away from full-time teaching in person and will be looking into other opportunities like teaching online classes. I’m excited to see where my education degree will take me!