Roscoe student teaching at Carrington Elementary

It's not always obvious when a local high-school graduate is flourishing in their higher education, but New Rockford native Lauren Roscoe's success is crystal clear.

After graduating from New Rockford-Sheyenne in 2017, Roscoe went to Valley City State University (VCSU) to pursue her lifelong dream of becoming a teacher.

"I have wanted to be a teacher since I was in elementary school," said Roscoe. "It's something that, starting in fourth grade, I really started thinking about, and I just always knew it's what I wanted to do."

Roscoe is well on her way to fulfilling that dream. She's majoring in elementary education and has certificates in kindergarten, reading, and coaching, and she was recently named to the 2021 VCSU President's Honor Roll, which requires a perfect 4.0 grade-point average.

Now in her senior year, Roscoe is completing her student teaching requirement in Carrington. Currently, she's working with kindergarten students alongside Mrs. Julie Miller, and after six weeks, she'll move to third grade with Mrs. Connie Hafner.

"It has been very fun," said Roscoe on her experience of student teaching. "I'm very lucky that I have been paired with two incredible teachers. I have learned a lot, I've formed a lot of great relationships with all the students so far, and it's overall just been a really great experience and it's confirmed that I know I want to be a teacher, and I know I made the right career choice."

Roscoe added, "I will say that student teaching teaches you things that can't be taught in the classroom, whether it's building relationships or managing different behaviors. It hasn't necessarily been a shock because you expect it, but it's been very eye opening with how much I've learned in real time as I teach."

Roscoe believes it's important to reach students while they're still young and impressionable, which is one of the reasons she chose to become an elementary teacher.

"At that age they still love to learn, they love school, and it's when they really start figuring out who they are, their personality, and I just think that's so fun," explained Roscoe. "It's really an age where you can make a positive impact on their life."

Many aspiring teachers can point to a specific teacher from their past who inspired them to become teachers themselves. For Roscoe, however, it was being able to help the students that need it most, something she recognized at an incredibly young age.

"I wouldn't say it was a particular teacher, it was more just watching all my teachers and how they interacted with the students," said Roscoe of how she's wanted to be a teacher since fourth grade. "I saw that when some people didn't necessarily have a supportive person in their life at home, they could find that supportive person at school, and I thought that was really special and I knew someday I could potentially be that for students."

As Roscoe nears the end of her career at VCSU, her future as a teacher grows brighter and brighter. She's already beginning the search for a teaching position as she plans to graduate in May, and she'd love to keep teaching in the area she grew up in.

"I'm excited to full-time teach when I have my own classroom and I can run it how I want to and try my own ideas ... I really like to come up with those fun ideas and try new things, so I think that's what I'm most excited for, to have that complete freedom."

If her passion and vivacious character are anything to go by, there's no doubting that Roscoe has a promising and successful career ahead of her.