Ella Hansing

Why did you decide to come to MSU and pursue a degree in education?

My motivation for pursuing a degree in special education comes primarily from my experiences volunteering at Sheltering Tree Ranch, a school in my hometown specifically catered towards children with special needs. As someone who has a sibling on the Autism spectrum, I hope to be an advocate for other children who struggle in public schools similar to my brother. As far as my decision to attend Mississippi State, although it was never where I would have envisioned myself attending college, I can confidently say I would not want to be anywhere else. 

What do you want people to know about you?

I would say that I have an ambition and a passion, specifically concerning the education of special needs children as well as the issues and problems surrounding that topic, that most people do not possess. In my career, I will strive to truly make a difference in the lives of each of my students, and hopefully their families as well. Many of the teachers at Sheltering Tree, where my brother attends, helped Evan and our family tremendously through the difficult process of receiving his Autism diagnosis and learning how to best provide him with the tools that would help him succeed. This is the exact same sort of impact I hope to make on the lives of my students, regardless of where I teach or how far my career takes me. 

What advice would you give to entering freshmen or students finishing up high school?

Hold onto who you are! Do not get caught up in trying to be friends with who you think you should or whoever you may happen to "click" with first. Stay true to yourself, your morals, and beliefs, and the right people will come to you! You will need to study, regardless of whether you needed to in high school or not. Learn what study methods and environments work best for you, and utilize that. Try your best to stay organized in whatever ways work best for you, because it does help.