Kylie Mason ‘19
College of Education
Major: Elementary Education
Butler University almost didn’t work out for Kylie Mason.
On paper, it was almost too perfect: her sisters studied here, the campus was only a few hours away from home in northern Indiana, and the College of Education (COE) came highly recommended.
“My first semester was filled with thoughts of transferring. I felt homesick despite all the reasons why I shouldn’t have,” she said. “But then the right professor came along and helped me realize that I was meant to be a teacher. And that I needed to change as a person, not the place where I was.”
It was the lightbulb moment that every student seeks when stepping onto campus. Kylie has been moving forward ever since.
Every semester, COE ensures its students interact with classrooms throughout the larger Indianapolis community. This immediate, consistent exposure to the reality of education is what Kylie attributes to the high caliber of the College’s curriculum.
“At other colleges, especially larger ones, undergraduates won’t spend time in actual classrooms until their third or fourth year. That’s crazy to me,” she said. “Students at Butler still feel overwhelmed at times, for sure. But the professors here are making sure we can manage it, rather than fear and avoid it.”
Now, in her final year, Kylie sees a College around her that is more equipped to prepare teachers for the future than ever before. This year, the College of Education moved away from its confined corner in Jordan Hall to the brand new South Campus. Formed following Butler’s purchase of 40 acres of land and buildings from the Christian Theological Seminary, COE now enjoys state-of-the-art facilities to explore new ways of delivering knowledge in the 21st-century.
“I wish we had this space all four years that I’ve been here,” she said. “I’ve always felt like the professors and students in COE were one big family, so it’s nice to finally have our own place to call home.”
Home. It’s still one of the most important things on her mind. It’s why she plans on returning to northern Indiana next year. But this time she’s moving toward her future rather than away from it. Kylie Mason is ready to teach.