So, a few weeks ago I wrote about being completely undecided. I was split between Kentucky and Iowa for the longest time. After visiting Kentucky, they ended up letting me down so much. I went there to find out a lot of little things in their teaching program that wasn’t worth me going there for. Nothing stood out to me that I was like, I need to be here. So that just dropped from my rankings. Then I just knew it would be Iowa. Except, my dad and I decided to take a trip to U of I because it was on our way home from Kentucky and I got into their teaching program. I ended up being absolutely in LOVE with the campus. I never thought about wanting to go to an Illinois school, to be honest, but the moment I saw it and went into the actual education building, it felt so close to right. 

My mom and I were planning on going down there on Friday anyways and meeting with some people from the college of education to talk about their program. Once we went, I got amazing information and realized that it has all come down to Iowa and U of I. This time I was actually split. The program was very similar to Iowa, but the campus life was so much more different. It was filled with so many different people, it was so diverse. I loved seeing how everyone was combined together in this environment. Although, the moment I walked out of the building, I was actually 50/50 with the two schools. My sister who goes to Iowa was coming home too before she left for spring break, so I was hoping to make a decision sooner about going to Iowa so I could do a surprise for her. But while I was meeting with people from U of I, my dad was home on the phone with the college of education at Iowa to get some information. Again very similar, but one thing changed everything. 

Illinois state age requirements for elementary education is grade 1-6. I have always had an interest in teaching kindergarten, but I would not be able to if I got my license from Illinois where I could only teach those certain grades. If I wanted to teach kindergarten, I would have to change my major to early childhood education, which was only grades birth-2nd. So I would get to be able to teach kindergarten, 1st, and 2nd, but that creates fewer job opportunities for me in the future. I then look up Iowas state law…I come to find that their elementary education is grads k-6th. So not only would I be able to teach kindergarten, but I also would be licensed to teach 6 different grade levels, allowing me to have more job opportunities. 

So, the night before me and my mom left for U of I, I still wanted to be prepared to tell my sister I was going to Iowa if I chose to go there. I ended up getting 2 black shirts from Micheals and I ironed on the back one shirt that said: “Lil hawkeye” and the other as “big hawkeye” with the front saying Iowa. But we didn’t make them in case I didn’t go, all we had to do was iron it on. When I got into the car going home with my mom from U of I and finding out all this information, I knew Iowa was my best option. My mom goes “so, are we making these shirts”. I looked at her and nodded. The next thing we both said was “wow.” I have finally chosen the place where I am going. 

We get home and my sister and her best friend, Bella, who is also going to spring break with her were already at our house waiting for us to come home. My mom quickly went upstairs to iron on the shirts and I grabbed the “Lil hawkeye” shirt and threw it on with a hoodie over. I came downstairs with the other shirt and subtly asked her if she left the last time she was home. She looked at the shirt confused because she didn’t understand, and Bella was just laughing that the back said “big hawkeye” until Bella put the pieces together and goes “OH MY GOD ARE YOU GOING TO IOWA”. I looked at my sister Sedona as her eyes started to weld up with happy tears and smiled. I am going to the University of Iowa.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1GpzAjoyW5sFOAHSMWocv0B7W5CcAscdx/view?usp=sharing

(video of me surprising her)