Thursday, May 01, 2008
Senior scores top honors at graduation
 Allison Czubik knew her entire life that she wanted to be a teacher, but it wasn't until high school that her true calling became clear."One of my teachers gave me a chance to teach our math class," said Czubik. "He didn't think I was being challenged enough. He handed me the book and let me teach a few lessons. That definitely gave me the confidence to know that's what I wanted to do because I knew I always wanted to be a teacher, but I questioned what exactly I wanted to teach. When he let me teach, and I got the positive response from both my peers and my teacher, I knew that math was what I wanted to teach." The Merriville native is now a graduating senior at the University of Southern Indiana (USI). She will receive a Bachelor of Arts degree in mathematics with teaching endorsements. Her post-graduation plan is to stand in front of a math class once again. "I'm going to move home and find a teaching job in a middle school or high school," Czubik said. "It doesn't matter to me what grade. I just want to start teaching math." As for her own academic plans, Czubik hasn't ruled out returning to school to get a master's degree in education in the future. One thing is certain, however, Czubik's future will involve teaching. "I don't ever see myself changing professions," she said. "Teaching is something I feel I was meant to do." Czubik put her passion for teaching math to use while at USI, working as a math tutor for Academic Skills. She also served as the president of the Math Club and president of USI Student Ambassadors. She received the President of the Year award in 2007 from Student Affairs for her work with Student Ambassadors. Czubik said that Student Ambassadors helped to polish her leadership skills, which are an important tool in the teaching profession. Despite all her extra-curricular activities, Czubik never lost sight of her goal to graduate with a 4.0 average. "My first semester in college, I got all As," she said. "So I set a goal for myself to keep it up throughout my college career." Now with her final semester winding down, Czubik's summa cum laude honors allow her to put a check next to her college career-long goal. "I'm definitely proud of myself for what I've done because it was such hard work," she said. "I think it shows that if you set goals and work really hard to achieve them, you can make those goals a reality." Czubik credits her study habits and self-motivation for her success. "I'm a focused person, and I don't like to wait to do things at the last minute," she said. "If I have a project or long-term assignment due, I like to have it done at least a week in advance. It's my own personal push on myself. I've never been a last-minute type of person." Academically, Czubik faced a tougher challenge than the average undergraduate teaching student. "I have a teaching degree, but I went through the same exact program and took all the upper-level math classes as a regular math major," said Czubik. "Those courses were definitely difficult but were excellent preparation for graduate-level math." Czubik will return to northern Indiana following commencement, after proving to herself she can make it on her own. Czubik spent her entire life on the outskirts of Chicago, but when the time came to head off to college, she decided to leave her comfort zone. "I wanted to go and try something on my own," she said. "I wanted to see if I could do it. It was a growing experience for me." Czubik is the daughter of Richard and Wyn Ann Czubik of Merriville, Indiana. |
Copyright © 2013 University of Southern Indiana. All rights reserved.