Student Voices - Graduate
Crystal Hill
Ph.D. in Education; Culture, Curriculum and Change
Class of 2008
New Bern, North Carolina
My background
A true Tar Heel, I received both my B.A. in Mathematics and M.A. in Teaching from UNC-Chapel Hill and continue to work toward earning my Ph.D. in Education. As a fourth-year doctoral student in Culture, Curriculum and Change, I am now experiencing the final chapter of my Carolina experience.
Why I chose the UNC School of Education
I was born a teacher. I taught my siblings. I taught imaginary friends. I just taught. Despite earning an undergraduate degree in mathematics at Carolina, I returned to my first love – teaching – in pursuing my master’s and doctoral degrees at the School of Education. As a graduate student, I’ve had the opportunity to capitalize upon my own strengths as a teacher as well as learn from the expertise of the School’s numerous role models and mentors who have surrounded me during my time at Carolina.
My experience
This past year, I had the opportunity to benefit from the Malloy Travel Fund to further my dissertation work in mathematics education. The fund paid the plane fare and conference fees for me to attend the annual meeting of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics in Atlanta. I made a research presentation, participated in several seminars and networked with other graduate students who, like me, viewed the conference as an incredible learning experience.
Student life
An essential part of my experience at the School has been the manner in which the graduate students band together to support and contribute to one another’s academic growth. When I returned from the conference in Atlanta, I had the opportunity to share what I learned with other graduates students in the School who expressed genuine interest in my work. For me, this sort of camaraderie is what the Carolina experience is all about.
The future
Upon defending my dissertation, I hope to acquire a mathematics position at a university in North Carolina or the Southeast, where I can teach pre-service educators and graduate students.