Major: Transfer
When Laura Zeller first attended college, she wanted to be a theatrical lighting designer.
However, her goal changed to becoming a physics teacher. Because the original school she attended didn’t have the degree she needed, Zeller returned home and enrolled at College of DuPage. This allowed her to complete prerequisites while searching for the best four-year school with the program she wanted.
It turned out to be a smart choice that led to unexpected benefits.
“COD gave me a place to go that was not overly expensive and close to home. I could take high-quality classes that later applied toward my bachelor’s degree while I searched for schools,” she said. “The student worker program also gave me a great opportunity to learn hands-on skills about door maintenance through my job at the lock shop. These are positive life skills to have, and they help me with troubleshooting home maintenance. I also really appreciated having a student work opportunity that was not just answering phones or filing paperwork. I felt like I was making a real difference at the school.”
Zeller transferred to Eastern Illinois University and earned a Bachelor of Science in Physics with science teacher certification. After teaching high school physics for six years, she decided to take her career in a new direction and returned to school for a Ph.D. in Learning Sciences, which she received from the University of Illinois at Chicago.
COD gave me a place to go that was not overly expensive and close to home. I could take high-quality classes that later applied toward my bachelor’s degree.
Laura Zeller
Now she is a science educator at BSCS Science Learning, where she is helping science teachers reach their goals of improving science education for students.
“I did research on how classroom practices were supported in a science class for pre-service elementary teachers,” she said. “I’m currently working on OpenSciEd high school physics materials, which is a research-based, high-quality, NGSS (Next Generation Science Standards)-aligned science curriculum that will be open source for any teacher to use. I want to continue helping science teachers, be it through research or development.”
Zeller highly recommends COD and encourages students make the most of their time while enrolled.
“Try out things, take classes or do an activity you might not have the chance to try once you’re at another school,” she said. “If you get the opportunity, study abroad! And appreciate working with faculty who are committed to teaching, in contrast with huge classes at many large schools with labs run by teaching assistants with little to no teaching training