Kelsey May able to make a name for herself at Waynesburg
Kelsey May is happy with her four years at Waynesburg, but she still has one regret.
“I should have done more activities than I did,” said May. “I was almost too involved in my studies that I didn’t have as many opportunities as I wished I would have had.”
Despite her regrets, May was still involved in a multitude of extracurricular activities during her four years at Waynesburg University.
A resident of Mill Run, Pennsylvania, and graduate of Connellsville Area High School, Waynesburg University was an easy choice for May.
“I always said I wanted to be a name, not a number,” said May.
“I wanted it to be a small school and I liked that it was a Christian school and my sister went here also so it intrigued me to come here.”
Another big part in her decision to attend Waynesburg University was the education program, which she is a part of as a middle level English and science education major.
An activity May was very ingrained in was Habitat for Humanity. She went on a mission trip with Habitat her freshman and sophomore years and then was the vice president for Habitat for Humanity at Waynesburg her sophomore year.
May then wanted to take her service to the next step her junior year and go out of the country. She decided to go on the trip to Guatemala over Thanksgiving break.
“I knew that I wanted to go out of the country and I wanted to do something with kids,” May said. “I knew that Guatemala was a popular trip and I felt that was the one I was led to go on.
Going to Guatemala during Thanksgiving was a great experience for May because the culture is so different.
“It was neat to see how grateful they were,” May said. “We went over Thanksgiving and holiday season. Americans are so greedy and it was so humbling to spend a holiday in a third-world country that doesn’t have anything, yet they’re so grateful for what they do have.”
May also worked in Student Services and the mailroom during her career at Waynesburg, as well as being a member in the Kappa Delta Pi international education honors society.
May student taught at at Margaret Bell Middle School in a 7th grade science classroom and at Waynesburg Central Elementary School in a 5th grade classroom, which she said really confirmed her love of science.
After she graduates, May will continue her education at Waynesburg to attain her graduate degree in special education. When she finishes graduate school in a year, she hopes she can be a middle school teacher for many years.
“I hope not to have to move too far,” May said. “It doesn’t have to be in my home school district. I really like middle school. That’s where I feel like I’m meant to be; 6th, 7th or 8th grade. I’ll be happy with English, science or special education, but I prefer science.”
Even though May did not achieve everything she would have liked in her four years at Waynesburg, she believes the experiences she has gained will guide her well after graduate school.