May 8, 2025

Kinu Aneja graduated from the School of Education with a BS in Elementary Education in 2021. Since then, she’s found her place as a first grade teacher at a public school in Philadelphia. The real world applications from her tutoring work as a student, as well as good relationships with faculty, namely Dr. Valerie Klein, helped her develop a distinctive and effective style for interacting with her children. Nearly 4 years after her graduation, we asked her some questions about her education, and the impact it had on the success she’s found.

Can you share a specific moment or achievement that highlights your time at Drexel?

Tutoring kindergarten students at Powel for Dr. Lee’s class! This helped me see real strategies that support students who need additional help with reading. I still use some of these strategies in my own classroom!

How has/did the program prepare you for your current role or career advancement?

The ample field experience helped me observe various classroom settings which in turn helped me observe various teaching styles. It helped me gauge how I wanted to lead my classroom early on in my career.

What aspects of Drexel’s approach to education do you find most impactful?

Drexel provides hands-on experiences that set new teachers up for success. Studying pedagogy is only impactful when you have the chance to experience it through practice.

How have/did the faculty and resources at Drexel influence your educational journey?

The faculty at Drexel are great! I still keep in touch with them today! Dr. Klein actually helped me land my first teaching job after college. The faculty is always on your side, cheering you on, even after graduation.