Countless seniors apply to college each year and check the box “undecided,” but senior Alyssa Jacobson has known she has wanted to be a teacher ever since she was a kindergartner. Her childhood stories always have a common theme of helping others out and being a teacher to them in some way.

Jacobson plans to attend Illinois State University to major in Early Childhood Education, which has been her dream school since her middle school days.

Jacobson’s elementary school teachers heavily influenced her choice to become a teacher. She was a part of the Little Mustang preschool teaching program last year because she wanted to make a change. A big smile appeared on her face when talking about her time during the Little Mustang preschool.

“Teaching the mustang preschool and watching these kids grow into a completely different person is so rewarding,” Jacobson said.

“I love the feeling of helping people grow and watching people grow,” Jacobson said.

As she elaborates on her time at the Little Mustang preschool, she brings up a young boy. Jacobson was the boy’s support system throughout last year because others deemed him “aggressive.”

“I gave him a lot of one-on-one time with me throughout the school year because I wanted to make sure he knew I was there for him,” Jacobson said.

Jacobson was able to nurture the boy due to the continuous support she got from Childhood Development teacher Liana Ploski. Jacobson wanted to perfect the teaching qualities she already possessed. Ploski helped her fine-tune them all of last year.

“She helped me adapt to the environment of the classroom and helped me feel comfortable with the children, and she recognized that I possess a lot of great teaching traits,” Jacobson said.

Teaching always spoke to Jacobson, she couldn’t fathom having a 9 to 5 desk job. In the teaching profession, she interacts with people of all ages throughout her work day.

“Kids are so fun to be around, and they have a better energy. At times, I still think I’m a kid, which I think is very beneficial when interacting with children,” Jacobson said.

A quote Jacobson wants to implement in her teaching career is something her mother, a preschool teacher at Small Miracles, uses during her school day every day of the year. “Big hearts shape little minds,” Jacobson said.