Senior Spotlight: Maureen McKenna

     Name: Maureen McKenna        

     Hometown: Parlin, NJ

     Major: Psychology, Sociology minor

     Graduation date: May 2015

     Why did you choose Fordham?

Fordham was the first school I fell in love with because it was so beautiful! As soon as I stepped onto the campus my junior year of high school I knew this was where I wanted to be. Fordham reminded me so much of home and I love that I am so close to the city! There are definitely so many opportunities available here because of the location.

     What clubs/organizations/internships have you been involved in? What has been your favorite experience?

      I am a member of the Varsity Swim Team where I have competed for the last 4 years. Since I am going into education, I have also been able to do a lot of volunteer experiences at different schools throughout the city. I have been a volunteer for Jumpstart for 2 years which is one of my favorite things to do. Jumpstart is a non-profit organization that partners with preschools in low income areas and trains college students to help children prepare for kindergarten. Twice a week for 2 hours each day my team and I go into the preschool classroom and read to the students, assist them with their writing skills, and do a bunch of other fun activities. It is so rewarding seeing how much we can impact the lives of the students! In addition to Jumpstart, I have also volunteered at PS 205, PS 54, Harry Gordon School, and the Bronx Charter School which are all in walking distance from Rose Hill. Currently, I volunteer at the Rebecca School for students with special needs in Manhattan. I love that I have been able to volunteer in a variety of different schools because it is really fascinating to see how their learning experiences differ from my own. It is always nice to be able to help children who need the most support.

     What do you think is the best resource available to students on campus?

      The Dorothy Day Center for Service and Justice- I have found so many opportunities to become involved in the community, especially in the field of education.

     What is your favorite personal memory at Fordham?

I don’t think I have any specific memories, but I always love when my friends and I explore the city. We always try to go to the city on the weekends to eat, shop, or just walk around. The city is the perfect get-away from school work and there is always something new to do!

     Where is your favorite place to hang out at Fordham or in NYC?

Any restaurant on Arthur Ave! There is so much delicious Italian food around here!

     What are your plans/goals/aspirations for post-graduation?

     I am enrolled in the 5-Year Education Track at Fordham so this year I was able to integrate 4 graduate level courses into my schedule. I will finish next year at Lincoln Center with my Masters in Elementary Education and Special Education. Hopefully after next year I will be teaching somewhere in the city! 

Jumpstart at Fordham

Fordham University is dedicated to social justice and being men and women for others. Fordham encourages all of its students to Volunteer at some point in their Fordham career. This year I joined one of Fordham’s most active community service groups called Jumpstart. Jumpstart is an organization that visits local preschools on weekly basis in order to encourage language and literacy skills in children ages 3-4. Joining jumpstart is one of the best decisions I have made here at Fordham.

This is me and my jumpstart team.

On Tuesdays and Friday my jumpstart team and I visit La Peninsula, a local preschool.  Before we head to the school, we have a team planning meeting to discuss what book we will read, and what activities we will do with the children. When we arrive at the school we separate into groups. Our first group activity is going over the letters and sounds of letters in the children’s names. After that, we read our book of the week. Reading the book is my favorite part because the children respond really well to them. They laugh and really enjoy the pictures. After books are read we come together again during circle time, where we sing songs and say poems that help develop alphabet knowledge and phonemic awareness. After circle time, the children are given an option of whether they want to go to an art, reading, writing, puzzle, or dramatic play area. All of the activities set up for the children were especially designed to support the vocabulary and content we read in the book. The last thing we do during session is sharing and goodbye. During sharing and goodbye, children are given the opportunity to share what they did during center time with the rest of the class. Of course sharing and goodbye is accompanied by the famous goodbye Jumpstart song.

While jumpstart may be a very large commitment, it is extremely rewarding. I love working with children and jumpstart has given me the ability to do just that. I am so happy to know that I am helping children learn to read. But it’s definitely a two way street, I would say I get just as much out of jumpstart sessions as they do. Watching the kids grasp a concept, or spell their name for the first time is really awesome. In addition, as if the kids weren’t enough jumpstart has fostered so many friendships for me. My team is a group of truly extraordinary people and I wouldn’t have them any other way.

 

Finding What You Love

Whether you’re into sports, theater, gardening or fashion, you will find what interests you at Fordham. Offering over a hundred clubs and activities for students, Fordham will undoubtedly have something that makes you excited to get involved. Fordham is a close-knit community and getting involved on campus is an irreplaceable way to meet new friends and find people who are interested in the same things as you.

One of the best decisions I made at Fordham was to volunteer for a year as a Jumpstart Corps member. Jumpstart is an organization that helps underprivileged preschoolers prepare for kindergarten by teaching them reading and writing skills. As a corps member, I would get to go into a local preschool in the Bronx twice a week and work with these wonderful four-year olds. Every session we would practice their letters, read a new story, and do fun activities based on the story. I would leave the preschool with a smile on my face every time because of the great kids I was lucky enough to work with. 

All of the awesome kids we got to work with every week!!

What was great about joining Jumpstart was that I was put in a group of six other Corps members from Fordham who would work in the same classroom as I did. Sharing such a unique experience together, we all became close very fast. Not only did Jumpstart help me realize that I want to work with kids in my future, but it also led me to meet so many new friends that enjoy doing the same things as me. There are so many amazing clubs and organizations just like this one at Fordham that you should most definitely take advantage of during your time here!

My Jumpstart team and myself saying goodbye at the end of the year after our last day in the preschool

Blog By: Abby Collins