- Student; On Campus
Jen Pento thought she wanted to be a nurse after she left the military. But when she didn’t do as well as she'd hoped with anatomy, she realized she wanted to help people through teaching.
“I want to be one of those teachers that students can look back and say, ‘I remember Miss Jen; she always took the time to help,’” she says.
Jen is working on a bachelor’s degree with double certification in early childhood education/special education at Southern New Hampshire University. She is fascinated with children and loves teaching them - and learning from them.
“As adults, we think we know everything,” she says. “But you give them a project and you have one thing in mind, and they use their creativity and come up with another alternative.”
Her boundless patience and desire to help drew her to youngsters with special needs.
“I have a brother with cerebral palsy. I always saw the challenges that he faced and always said I wanted to make it as easy as possible,” she says.
Jen, a mom to three boys ages 10, 12 and 15, also juggles a full-time school load and works part-time at an early care center in Hooksett, N.H. She hopes to work in a school district with children with autism after she graduates. The field experience required by the School of Education has been helpful, too.
“I thought it was a great opportunity to see different classrooms instead of staying in one school,” she says. “The School of Education is wonderful. ”
