Alice Donawerth

3rd Grade Teacher

Education, M.A. '13

The more I put into the program, the more God blessed the work. This was well worth the time devoted to learning.

How did your program at Biola prepare you for your career?

My masters program at Biola presented cutting edge ideas in the ever-fluctuating ideas in educational curriculum and pedagogy. I researched the pros and cons associated with Common Core before my district integrated it into their program. I took classes to support my work in an ever-changing classroom, especially with the mainstreaming of Exceptional Students in my classroom. I enjoyed exploring the current laws and state infrastructure that oversee education in California by taking a trip to Sacramento and meeting with many in the State Department of Education.

What did you appreciate most about your time at Biola?

Even though my program was all on-line, I appreciate how well I was able to connect to my professors and fellow students. The depth of conversations was refreshing. I also treasured the spiritual focus on everything we did.

How did Biola equip you to be a more faithful follower of Jesus Christ?

In every class I took, there was a focus on integrating my faith into my daily work. I have always thought that my classroom was my mission field and the Masters in Education program supported and deepened this commitment within me. I also valued the Bible classes offered as part of the program. These classes opened up ideas on how to dig deeper when studying the Word.

What advice would you give to students considering your degree program?

I worked full time while working on the program, so I prayed about how to find the time to get it all done. God guided me in what things I needed to give up so I could set aside the amount of time needed to do the program well. The more I put into the program, the more God blessed the work. This was well worth the time devoted to learning.