By Basil Tutza
More so than any other major, Drexel’s freshman education majors are guaranteed a unique college introduction. For many students, freshman year will bring their first experiences in a classroom, their first ventures into a major city, and their first interactions with teaching-specific coursework. Ofelia Rusiloski is one of those freshmen. As a elementary education major focusing on prek-4 and special education, Rusiloski’s first six months with the School of Education have been just as educational for her as for the students she has been recently placed with.
Rusiloski was introduced to Drexel and education in one fell swoop; both of her parents are higher educators, after all, and one even works at Drexel University. “And then I had a lot of experience with babysitting and working at summer camps,” Rusiloski adds. “I also have a younger brother, so I was always looking after him. Not only was education always in my house growing up, but it was always an area of interest for me.”
That prior experience has meant that, instead of familiarizing herself with the teaching process, Rusiloski has spent most of her time familiarizing herself with Philadelphia. “I’m from Bucks County, which is… different. It’s been an adjustment—because where I'm from, we drive everywhere, but here you have to rely on SEPTA and public transportation, which has been really humbling. That 30-minute commute to my field placement sometimes becomes an hour or sometimes becomes an Uber ride.“
Being in only her second quarter of her freshman year, Rusiloski is brand-new to field placements—and, on top of that, dedicating more hours to them than the average freshman. “I'm currently in Education 222 and EDEX 344, which both have field placement requirements. In total, I need 30 hours, where I’m sitting in on these classes, participating in their activities, and really trying to get a feel for the Philadelphia classroom environment. A lot of the experience has been getting us used to the area that we’ll be teaching in—both for field placements and for our future co-ops.”
Rusiloski’s two field placements have made her experience slightly different from that of the average education freshman; but, she highlights, “all of the professors have been really understanding with the position that I'm in—because they don't usually deal with two field placements at once, since it’s so many hours. I'm in a course that first-year students generally don't get into because of some weird scheduling, but my professor has been really accommodating: really taking the time to spell things out for me, because most of my peers are people who’ve already been teaching for a few years. I'm really appreciative of everything that they've been doing for me.”
Even in her short time at Drexel, Rusiloski has seen that same support echoed throughout the School of Education’s faculty.
“I really enjoy Dave Appleton. I can't say enough good things about him. And the professors in the School of Education always go that extra step. I’ve been supported by people who aren't even my professors; you know, stepping in, asking what's going on. Or they’ve heard about me, and they want to ask me a few questions.”
That sense of community extends to her fellow first-year students: a group which, she estimates, “must be about 12 of us. Compared to other majors—biology, biomed, that type of thing, which have a bajillion people—we’re so tiny. We all know each other by name. There's nowhere to hide. We sometimes just sit and talk about our classes or our professors, because we usually end up in all of the same courses. Last quarter, for instance, I had maybe seven of the same classes with another education major. I was like, ‘I never stop seeing you!’” Rusiloski adds, “But it's kind of nice because you know that you're all riding the struggle bus together.”
Now that she’s hitting her stride in the program, Rusiloski is eager for the opportunities that are sure to follow. “I'm definitely looking forward to the co-ops,” concludes Rusiloski. “I think they’ll be a really good experience for me. Even in my current field placements, I really enjoy the kids that I'm working with, and the teachers that I've been placed with are really great. But I'm also looking forward to just continuing the courses that I have now. I’m diving into all of these concepts, really gaining an understanding, and I’m excited to apply them more.”