Sarah Moore

My favorite aspect of teaching at Penn College is the students. Everyone comes with a story. Usually their story has a strong influence on why they chose a helping career. The reasons that students share are very diverse and unique. Those reasons keep me motivated and passionate about providing them an educational experience that they will be able to apply to real-world situations.

At a very young age, my father found someone to teach me basic sign language. After that experience, a very good family friend had a daughter who was born deaf. I was very interested in learning how they would communicate with their child and how she would learn to read and write. I was lucky enough to be invited on trips and to family camps where we would learn more about deafness. This family friend later became my supervisor at Penn College. It’s a small world. You never know when you are networking and building relationships and connections. Also, a deaf girl was in my high school classes. I was very intrigued with the role of her interpreter. In fact, this aid helped me identify that I wanted to become an interpreter, too. 

Prior to becoming an instructor, I spent nearly 10 years in Penn College's Disability Services office. I spent some of that time as a sign language interpreter while other time was spent with a variety of students who disclosed their disabilities upon entering college. I was exposed to all types of disabilities, some I knew very little about and others were a bit more common. In my role as a student support assistant, I advocated for student needs and worked with faculty to provide appropriate accommodations. I also had on-going appointments with students who were navigating their disabilities for the first time.

My favorite activities are the three internship experiences that students must do to earn their bachelor's degree. The first experience is in the very first semester in HSJ 115 when they must go out to an agency and get 30 hours of observation to get a better understanding of what the helping profession does and career paths for them to consider. The second placement is after their second year and has a 250-hour internship. This internship tends to be more observational, but many times our students are able to get hands-on practice. The third and final internship takes place after their senior-level coursework is completed. That is usually in a placement where they have identified the population in which they want to work with or the community in which they want to live. It is exciting to see them blossom and grow.

The three internship experiences allow students to get out in the field. This is one of my favorite things about our program. Students are getting that initial experience their very first semester. If there is any doubt that this is the correct fit, they find out quickly. Even students who don’t enjoy their first experience often stay in the program and choose a totally different population or career path for their second experience. So those growing and learning experiences are still valuable. Sometimes it's best to learn what you don’t want to do before you find out what you really do want to do.

I’ve learned not to give up. Many students are balancing a family life, a work life, and a student life. When I think that my plate is full, I remember students that are balancing much more than I am and they are getting it done!

My students also remind me that there are good people in this world. In a world that is full of challenges and adversity, most of these people want to go out and make a difference. They are advocates for change and sometimes a voice for individuals who aren’t being heard.

Finally, these students have a strong desire to learn. This reminds me that there’s always something new to learn, try, or experience. Learning is something that never ends. Our field evolves as the world changes and the students remind me to be open minded, try new things, and not to sweat the small stuff!