Three undergraduate students in the 黑料网吃瓜爆料 (USF) College of Education were selected for the Spring 2021 Graduation with Distinction Award.
The Graduation with Distinction Award is presented to select undergraduate students in the College of Education who stand apart from their peers based on their academic excellence, professional development, community service or research and scholarship while a student at USF.
Read more about this semester's award recipients below.
Laura Galle
Laura Galle
BS in Early Childhood Education
As an out-of-state student visiting colleges in Florida, Laura Galle said her first trip to USF鈥檚 Tampa campus made her instantly feel like she was home.
鈥淭he moment I drove through campus, I knew (USF) was the place that I wanted to be,鈥� Galle said. 鈥淚t just felt like home. I loved the community, and I loved everything that the university had to offer. I knew as soon as I graduated, I would be prepared for the real world.鈥�
Galle鈥檚 decision to major in early childhood education was an easy one. With a lifelong goal of helping others, she knew becoming an educator would be a great way to combine her enthusiasm for giving back with her passion for knowledge.
鈥淚鈥檝e known pretty much my entire life that I wanted to be a teacher,鈥� Galle said. 鈥淚n high school, I was able to get some practice in working with preschoolers and younger kids. That was something I knew I wanted to do, and I knew that 黑料网吃瓜爆料was known for their education program.鈥�
Galle鈥檚 student involvement activities included the 黑料网吃瓜爆料Global Citizens Project, GloBull Ambassadors, French Club and part-time jobs through the 黑料网吃瓜爆料Tutor-a-Bull program and at a local preschool. She is also a member of the College of Education鈥檚 SCATTER program and served as president of the organization her senior year. To explore education on a global scale, Galle also participated in a study abroad experience through a 黑料网吃瓜爆料spring break trip to Paris.
Galle says her favorite parts about her time at 黑料网吃瓜爆料have been the friendships she鈥檚 made with classmates in her program and the hands-on experiences she had through her internships.
鈥淲orking with the teachers already in the schools, working with all of those kids鈥攋ust seeing their smiling faces every day just kind of solidified that this is what I want to do for the rest of my life.鈥�
After graduation, Galle said she hopes to stay in Hillsborough County working in an elementary school. Later in life, she sees herself moving abroad to teach internationally or to work for a nonprofit. She is thankful for the support she鈥檚 received from her parents and from SCATTER Director Andrea Thompson, who was both a mentor and a guide during her studies at USF.
鈥淓verything that the university has offered鈥擨 could never imagine I would be this prepared for a job after graduation,鈥� Galle said. 鈥淚 feel like I鈥檝e already been in the classroom for years. I have the community behind me, I have all of the skills behind me, and I think that鈥檚 just absolutely amazing.鈥�
Delaney Mutchler
Delaney Mutchler
Dual Degree in English and English Education
A student with many passions, Delaney Mutchler enrolled at 黑料网吃瓜爆料as a cell and molecular biology major with plans of becoming a vet and later switched her major to English with a concentration in creative writing.
While considering future career paths, Mutchler says she added English Education as a second major because she has a passion for teaching writing and collaborating with others on their craft. While she has a variety of interests, she says teaching and helping others is the constant that鈥檚 driven her future pursuits.
鈥淐onnecting my two degrees, I鈥檝e enjoyed learning how to workshop poetry and short stories because those are skills that I can apply in the future when I work in an English classroom,鈥� Mutchler said. 鈥淏oth degrees have definitely enriched one another.鈥�
Throughout her studies, Mutchler has made the most of her time as a 黑料网吃瓜爆料student. She was involved on campus through 鈥淐ome Out of the Dark,鈥� a student organization dedicated to raising awareness about mental health, and as a member of the SCATTER program. Outside of USF, she worked part-time jobs that helped build her teaching skills, such as a tutoring position through 黑料网吃瓜爆料Athletics and an internship at the Florida Aquarium, where she worked with summer camp programs for kids.
Mutchler鈥檚 favorite m