Natalie Marroquin will never forget the impact Megan Middleton, her history teacher during her junior year at Johnson High School, made in her life. In fact, Middleton served as a model for who Marroquin aims to become.
"She helped me with issues I was having in school," Marroquin said. "Every time I needed someone to talk to, she was there. I wanted to be that person for someone."
The Gainesville, Georgia, resident and University of North Georgia (UNG) student is well on her way to making a similar impact. Scheduled to graduate in May 2023, she is part of the Realizing and Inspiring Successful Educators Undergraduate Program (RISE UP) in the College of Education. RISE UP is a partnership through which the Hall County School District pays tuition for Hispanic students at UNG who want to be teachers and offers them jobs upon graduation.
Marroquin, who is pursuing a degree in English with teacher certification, seeks to expose her students to a more diverse set of literature than what they would usually see.
"I want to show them people of color have a space in academic circles," she said. "We are no less valuable than other people because we have a different story or we come from a different country. We can contribute in any way we want."
In addition to her academic and internship work, she has also honed her teaching skills as a Supplemental Instruction facilitator at UNG.
"I lead with basic empathy and compassion for others. My main focus is that I am not the expert or someone with more authority," Marroquin said. "I want to guide them and help them along the learning journey. I want to help my students become the best versions of themselves."
One of the highlights thus far in her teaching internship journey was receiving a thank you note from a student who had struggled. With her help, his writing improved and she made him laugh. The student "told me how much I made a difference in his life." Those types of moments are what drive Marroquin.
"You will deal with hard things," she said. "But seeing students make progress and learn to love themselves by the end of the school year is amazing."
