Karli Shidaki

“… the field of education is useful in all occupations, whether or not it is related to teaching, because we are all learning and teaching every day.”

Hometown

Mililani, HI

Department

School of Teacher Education - M.Ed. in Teaching

Related Degrees

• Minor in Education

What is your major and why were you interested in pursuing the Minor in Education (MIE)?
I was a biology major in undergrad with a pre-med focus, but I decided to pursue the minor because of the lack of teaching skills by some people in the science and medical community. Often times, people who don’t have an education background will only stick to a teaching strategy that works for them, but from my experience working with students of all backgrounds, it is clear that we need to be able to modify and adapt to all the different types of learners. Also, I believe having some type of education background is useful in any occupation because we will always be teaching and learning throughout our lifetime. The minor in education allowed me to become a better educator, learner, and showed me how vast the education department is. I plan on applying for the Master of Education in Teaching (MEdT) program for secondary education focusing on science in the Fall of 2022

Which course did you enjoy most as part of the MIE and why?
The course that I enjoyed the most was STE 403C, a course specific for education minors, because it covered a wide variety of topics in education, on site visitations to schools, activities that allowed us to self-reflect on our learning journey, and teaching/learning techniques that can be applied in any occupation, not only specific to teacher. The small class size also made the interaction with my classmates a much more enjoyable and interactive experience, which is something I did not experience in the large lecture classes I took for my major. This class also had people of all backgrounds and majors, so it was nice to hear the perspectives of others and why they wanted to pursue a minor in education.

What was your biggest takeaway from what you learned from the field of education?
I have learned that the field of education is useful in all occupations, whether or not it is related to teaching, because we are all learning and teaching every day. Being an educator means so much more than being a teacher – it allows you to assist and learn from others, making growth possible.

How did the Minor in Education support you and your career goals?
The minor in education has allowed me to become a better learner as I have found out what type of learner I am throughout the minor. Finding out what techniques work for me allowed me to improve my study techniques, which helped me improve my understanding in my science courses and boosted my GPA. My overall career goal is to become a physician, but the courses in the minor have given me the skills to feel confident enough to become an informative educator in the medical field.

What are your future plans?
I graduated in 2020 and have been working at Clinical Labs for the past year, as I am taking multiple gap years before applying to medical school. I am currently studying for the MCAT, but I am planning to apply for the Master of Teaching in Education program for Fall 2022. I hope to gain more work experience and income before applying to medical school while also finding ways I can improve on becoming a better educator.

Who would you recommend to pursue getting a Minor in Education?
I would recommend everyone to pursue a minor in education! It will be useful in any career, and it will help you learn more about yourself. The classes are interesting and there are a variety of courses, so you are able to pick electives that interest you. The minor will also allow you to meet people outside of your major and gain lifelong connections! If people are unsure about having a career in Education, I would recommend the minor because I have learned how diverse the education field is and how many different occupations there are. It could possibly lead to a career change or it can help strengthen your current plan of study/occupation.

Anything else you would like to include?
Everyone at the College of Education is so welcoming and helpful! It really made me feel like I was part of the education department, even though the minor was only 15 credits. I’m glad to have met some staff and faculty that made learning about education interesting and informative. I’m also proud of myself and classmates who were the first cohort to earn a minor in education!