Name: Emma Gill  

Title: Intervention specialist at the Hilliard City School District Preschool 

Major: Early Childhood Education (Early Childhood Intervention focus) 

Class Year: 2021

Tell us about your career journey after graduation?  

After graduating in December of 2021, I got a wonderful opportunity to be a long-term intervention specialist substitute in Hilliard City Schools for the remainder of the 2021-2022 school year. Then I was given the opportunity to work as an intervention specialist at the Hilliard City School District Preschool for this current school year. I am an intervention specialist in a life skills classroom at the program. I attended this preschool as a peer model back in 2003 and 2004. I really feel like being a peer model at the program led me to want to pursue a career in special education later in life. Coming back to the program as a staff member has been a dream come true! 

How did Otterbein prepare you for your career?  

Otterbein prepared me for my career by teaching me well in the college classroom and by giving me great experience during my field placements and during my time student teaching. The professors at Otterbein truly care about all of their students. Otterbein’s small class sizes allowed me to really get to know my classmates and my professors. This network of support helped me prepare for my career in education by allowing me to collaborate with others and seek support from others when I needed it. 

Who was your favorite professor and why?  

Picking my favorite professor is such a hard task because I truly admire so many on staff at Otterbein. One professor who had a big impact on me was Dr. Carrie Scheckelhoff. Dr. Scheckelhoff taught a handful of my classes while I was at Otterbein. While I learned so much from her, my favorite thing about Dr. Scheckelhoff is that you could really tell how much she loved being a teacher. Whether it was throwing our class a Valentine’s Day party to demonstrate the importance of class parties in early childhood education or bringing in her favorite new children’s books for us to sift through, Dr. Scheckelhoff’s passion for the field of education is contagious.  
 

Do you want to give a shout out to any faculty or staff member at Otterbein 

I want to give a shout out to Dr. Scheckelhoff, Dr. Knoblauch, Dr. Constable, Dr. McDaniel, and everyone else in the education department who supported me along my journey at Otterbein! 

What is your career advice for current students?  

My career advice for current students would be to know your why. When going into any career, I think it is so important to understand what makes you passionate about the field you are pursuing a career in. Being passionate about your field of choice will help guide you as you interview for jobs and as you begin your journey in the working world.