Student: Mathin Ange
Mathin Ange is a senior studying elementary education at East Carolina University.
“I applied for a scholarship here and completely fell in love with everyone in the College of Education,” said Ange, a Jamesville native.
Ange is a Maynard Scholar, a scholarship program that awards a four-year $20,000 scholarship to outstanding incoming freshman who plan to teach in eastern NC. He is also in the Education Community of Scholars, comprised of 15 scholarship winners in each class. The group gives back to the community through street clean-ups, service projects every semester and working in Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium.
Ange says his high school baseball coach helped him discover a passion for teaching. His coach was the assistant principal at his local elementary school and offered Ange an internship opportunity during his junior year.
Photography by: Rhett Butler
“I completely fell in love with everything in an elementary school setting,” said Ange. “From then it completely changed my point of view and I just wanted to shape future generations in education.”
Ange is completing an internship and teaching fifth grade at Chicod School in Pitt County. He says a typical day starts off with students arriving around 7:30 a.m., teaching math and science in the morning, heading to lunch, and then ending the day with social studies and reading.
“Science is my favorite because we do all kinds of experiments and the kids really like it because it’s more hands on,” he said.
He also works with the information technology department on campus. He said it’s amazing how much he’s learned working with computers and running different scripts.
“It’s going to help me so much more in the classroom because now I know all of the ins and outs of Smart Boards and other different types of technology you use in a classroom,” he said. “I definitely feel more prepared.”
Ange sees himself teaching in a public school classroom and then becoming an administrator or principal. Afterwards, his long-term goal is to work in setting policy to improve education.
“I think there’s a lot of things that need to be done and I would love to be able to help do that,” he said.
He encourages those interested in the education and teaching field to do what makes them happy despite the challenges of low pay or not being appreciated. “It’s completely rewarding in the end,” he said “I wouldn’t be where I am now and I’m so happy in my internship and with being a teacher.”
Your words to live by: Do what makes you happy and don’t worry about what everyone else thinks.
What advice do you have for other students? Go out and make new friends! There are so many things going on on this campus. Don’t be afraid to step outside of your comfort zone because that is where you grow the most.
What is something cool about ECU that you wish you knew during your first year? That you can print in Speight and in Rivers. They both have computer labs where you can go and print so you don’t have to walk all the way to Joyner.
STATISTICS
College: College of Education
Major: Elementary education with a general science concentration
Age: 21
Classification/Year: Senior
Hometown: Jamesville, NC
Hobbies/interests: Coaching baseball, watching sports of any kind, the Washington Nationals and Carolina Panthers
Clubs and Organizations: Education Community of Scholars, Maynard Scholar, College of Education Junior Advisory Board, Apple Ambassadors
FAVORITES
Favorite hangout: My apartment
Favorite place on campus: Dr. Manning’s office because she always has good candy.
Favorite place to eat: Outback
Favorite class: SCIE 3602- Investigations into Physical Science with Dr. Dickerson
Professor who influenced you the most: Dr. Rogerson. She was my advisor and my professor at least three times. She always knew exactly what to say to all of her students when they needed it the most.
Favorite TV show: “Scandal”
Favorite band/musician: “Maroon 5”
Favorite movie: “Silver Linings Playbook”
Favorite website: ESPN.com
MOTIVATIONS
Dream job: An administrator in education or some sort of politician fighting for public education.
The one thing you cannot live without: Jesus
Role model: Ellen DeGeneres because I love what she stands for and how she strives to get everyone to treat one another kindly.