Kayla Mainor is an education major who loves working with young children. Recently she shared her Seton Hill experience with us.

What is Your Major, Specifically?

I’m an elementary education with special education major.

What’s it Like?

When it comes to my major, I am so grateful to have such supportive, kind, caring, passionate and real professors. Not only have I learned such a great amount of knowledge and experience from my professors the past four semesters, but I have also learned how to become a better person and more importantly a better teacher. 

So You Feel at Home in the School of Education?

One of my favorite things about the community of the education program and professors is how it feels like family and we are all striving for the same goals.

Explain Your Involvement in Seton Hill’s Child Development Center (CDC)

I have been a student worker at the Child Development Center for the past four semesters. Being an education major while working there has been an amazing experience. I am able to take the foundational knowledge I learn through the courses I take and apply it to experiences I encounter while working at the CDC. 

How Does Working at the CDC Support Your Education?

I am lucky to have experience in this preschool setting 3 days a week. Each day is different and there is never a time that I leave a shift not learning something new about the field I am in or the children I work with. I work with Mrs. Stone and Mrs. DePalma. They have been a HUGE inspiration to me daily. Every day I work with them I am amazed by their passion and patience they possess for this field and the children. I am extremely lucky and grateful to have such great role models that I am able to observe and work with weekly which in turn will allow me to become a better teacher.

"Each day is different and there is never a time that I leave a shift not learning something new about the field I am in or the children I work with."

What is Your Favorite Seton Hill Memory (So Far)?

One of the most significant memories for me was Welcome Weekend my freshman year. The events of Welcome Weekend were some of my first experiences here at Seton Hill and will forever be special memories to me. The events that took place during Welcome Weekend allowed me and all of the incoming freshmen to become familiar with the environment and people at Seton Hill which would soon become a family-like community for us. 

How Would You Describe Seton Hill to Someone Who Has Never Been Here?

There are so many things that I love about SHU. One of the greatest things about SHU is the way that we can all come together as one big community to provide love and support for each other. Especially throughout COVID times it's been amazing to see everyone who is going through a scary thing all together come together despite the challenges.