Windthorst’s Brooke Schreiber relished chance to stay home at MSU Texas and also explore the world
Brooke Schreiber is confident in her abilities as she prepares to lead her classroom after celebrating her Spring 2021 graduation from Midwestern State University Saturday at Kay Yeager Coliseum.
Just a year ago, it was a different feeling. She was nervous about student teaching. The Covid-19 restrictions had turned teaching into virtual sessions.
“I had only gotten to teach in front of a class one time, and the rest of the lessons that I had taught were recorded and not in front of a real class,” said Schreiber, who has accepted a position as a second-grade teacher at West Foundation Elementary School.
Schreiber had experience in front of crowds as an athletic multi-sport star at Windthorst High School. And with help from her mentor teachers and the staff at West College of Education, Schreiber came through this challenge excited about her future.
“I enjoyed the experience so much,” Schreiber said. “For the first part of the semester, I was with a first-grade class at Franklin, and then went to a fifth-grade reading and writing class at Lamar for the second half of the semester. It has been amazing getting to work with both age groups because they are so different. My two mentor teachers, Stephanie Musquiz and Melissa Horn were also the best, and I have learned so much from them.”
Schreiber recently earned the Outstanding Elementary Education student award. She’s proudly following in her mother’s footsteps, although she came to MSU Texas to become a nurse.
“My mom is a teacher, and growing up, I had always wanted to follow in her footsteps,” Schreiber said. “I was accepted into the nursing program at MSU, but during my first semester in the program, I quickly realized that nursing wasn't for me. I had been a Bible school teacher and also volunteered as a Children's Liturgy Leader at my church, and this helped me learn that I loved working with children. I decided then that I wanted to become a teacher because I loved children, and I wanted to make a difference in their lives.”
And choosing MSU Texas, allowing her to stay close to family, was always important to her.
“I am from Windthorst, and my family has always been a special part of my life,” she said. “My mom and grandma had also attended Midwestern, and they loved it, so I knew how great of a school it was. I had always wanted to go to MSU and never even considered going anywhere else. The best thing about attending my hometown university was having the chance to be so close to home. I was able to still have that college experience and make many new friends and memories, but I was still close to home and didn't have to miss out on anything with my family.”
Brooke still enjoyed a chance to see other parts of the world, thanks to the Study Abroad program at MSU Texas.
“I was super nervous because I had never been that far away from home and for that long amount of time,” Schreiber said. “While I was there, I had the chance to learn all about Grenada’s health and wellness system, and I even got to participate in an observational research project. I enjoyed seeing what another country is like because it was so different from the way we live. While we were there, we also visited many different places around Grenada and didn’t just have to sit in the classroom listening to lectures. Before this experience, I knew very little about anything outside of Wichita Falls. So, studying abroad helped me gain an insight into the world. I got to make many memories and meet many new people, and it was an experience I will treasure forever.”
Some other favorite memories for Schreiber are being a part of the Chi Omega Sorority and Redwine Honors program. “I had the chance to meet so many amazing people through these organizations,” she said. “Another favorite memory was getting to play intramural flag football and volleyball. I had missed not getting to play sports, so it was fun getting to play them in an environment that wasn’t as competitive as high school was.”
And as she joins the education staff at West Foundation Elementary, Schreiber took time to thank the faculty at West College of Education for helping her prepare. “The education department at MSU has so many great professors that it is hard to choose just one favorite. Dr. (Timothy) Hinchman, Dr. (Dittika) Gupta, and Dr. (Leann) Curry were the best block teachers, and I learned so much in their classes. They really care for their students and work so hard to help us succeed. Dr. (Jeffrey) Blacklock is also an amazing professor. He was one of the first education professors that I took once I switched majors. He is so energetic and positive, and he made me realize that I wanted to be that kind of teacher in the future.”