La’Na Holden

La’Na Holden, ’19 M.Ed., strongly believes in practicing what you preach. So much that she returned to school to obtain her M.Ed. because she often tells her students to always be willing to grow and learn.

“I needed to model that mindset of being a lifelong learner,” said La’Na.

The Wendell, N.C., native chose Meredith’s Master of Education program because it was different than her previous institution. Meredith was her second attempt at graduate school.

“Things haven’t always come easy to me. My resilience and my willingness to take every downfall and learn from it is what makes me strong.”

La’Na liked the small classes Meredith offered, the positive impact that the M.Ed. curriculum would have on her current classroom, and she wanted to be an expert in her field.

“My father always told me, ‘whatever you do, be the best.’ I feel that in order to accomplish that and become a better teacher, I need to be an expert in my area,” said La’Na. “Therefore, I thought receiving an advanced degree in education would be one step closer to achieving that status.”

From a young age, La’Na knew she wanted to be a teacher. As a little girl she used to play school with her stuffed animals, and she always felt at ease around children. Now, she is a special education teacher at Abbotts Creek Elementary School in Raleigh.

“I chose specifically to be a special education teacher because I think it is important that students with disabilities are recognized for their abilities and not their disabilities.”

Throughout her time at Meredith, La’Na has been able to take concepts and strategies back to her classroom and implement them immediately. And she has learned how to provide a better learning environment for her students.

“This degree could have an impact on me being viewed as a leader in my school and within my professional learning teams. At this time, I am happy in the classroom, and this program has supported that short-term goal by providing me with a deeper lens into teaching students with disabilities.”

Her favorite experience was attending the Graduate Research Conference and having the opportunity to present her research. It was through that conference where she gained confidence in her abilities and learned best practices from other M.Ed. research participants.

“I love learning from other teachers,” said La’Na. “Presenting at the Graduate Research Conference was very empowering. It gave me the confidence to be proud of my work,” said La’Na.

For La’Na, working full time and devoting 100 percent to her academics was challenging. There were times when she doubted her abilities and wasn’t sure if she would finish, but the support she received from the Meredith faculty kept her determined to earn her degree.

“One thing that continues to resonate with me is that every, and I mean every, professor I had in the program always greeted me with a welcoming and encouraging smile. Leaving work and rushing across town to class was hard, but knowing that there was so much compassion and genuine concern for how I was doing made it much easier to walk into Ledford after a rough day at work,” said La’Na. “I’ve literally learned, I can do it and I did it.”

Leslie Arreaza

As a transfer student Leslie Arreaza, ’19, struggled to find her place at Meredith, but it was through her passion for helping immigrants and refugees that she found her voice and her place among the Meredith community.

“I realized how much I enjoy learning about other people’s experiences and uplifting those around me,” said Leslie. “Meredith was the first place I felt like I could speak up and being here gave me the opportunity to help others speak up.”

Leslie is vice president of Angeles Latinas and former president and co-founder of the Meredith Refugee and Immigrant Club, an organization that means so much to her. She feels it’s important for her to be an ally to others and to know their stories.

A native of Guatemala, Leslie has become an advocate for immigrants and refugees. Through the Refugee and Immigrant Club, she has hosted workshops, conducted panels, and held conversations on policy changes and immigration rights. She also helped organize a fundraiser to help sponsor a grocery store trip for refugee families.

“Sharing my own story at CSA Day helped me realize that my voice is powerful, and seeing the reaction to the events I have helped organize gives me the strength to keep going,” said Leslie.

The support Leslie has received from her colleagues has been immeasurable and she has seen herself transform as a result of attending a women’s college. “I know we all have different values and goals, but here I feel like I can rely on my peers for help, academically and in life,” said Leslie. “I believe the reason I was able to become the person I am and the leader I have become was because I attended a women’s college.”

A psychology major earning a K-6 teaching license, Leslie is the current Newman Civic Fellow and a Golden Door Scholar. As part of her advocacy efforts, she has written articles for the News & Observer, the Huffington Post, and Medium.

Meredith has helped Leslie realize her strengths, given her the drive to take on leadership positions, and has built her confidence. “One of the greatest things I’ve learned at Meredith has been that I am here because I worked to be here, so it’s okay if I am in a leadership position,” said Leslie.

When Leslie had doubts, felt that she couldn’t make a difference, or faced challenges, she found support from her faculty and staff, especially from Professor of Psychology Mark O’Dekirk, who became her mentor. “I have learned so much about resilience and compassion from him,” said Leslie. “He has taught me the importance of supporting others, just by how much he cares about each of his students.”

While student teaching in a dual language school, Leslie has learned a lot about different cultures and how language plays a role in culture and in attitudes towards cultures. That experience has only increased her desire to help others. “The reason I’m teaching is because I see myself in the children,” said Leslie.

Leslie was recently selected to the Newman's Own Foundation Fellowship Program, a 12-month program to help develop the next generation of leaders in the nonprofit and philanthropic sectors. After graduation, Leslie will be working with a nonprofit aimed at helping refugees or focused on racial equity in classrooms. She eventually will attend graduate school to pursue a career in higher education or in business. She would like to start her own nonprofit working with immigrants or children of immigrants. 

“I have learned how much it means to be a leader in my community,” said Leslie. “Meredith has taught me a lot about self-confidence and strength, and I have developed the leadership skills to embrace the leader that I know I can be.”

By Alexandra Lankenau, ’19

Zipporah Whiteman

After working as a teaching assistant in a kindergarten class, Zipporah Whiteman, ’18, M.A. in Teaching, came to Meredith College to develop her passion for education. Empowered by her Meredith experience, she looks forward to a career working with English as a second language (ESL) students.

After volunteering with the kindergarten class for some time, Zipporah was eventually recommended for a position as a teaching assistant at the school.

“I’ve always enjoyed reading and literacy and teaching my girls,” said Zipporah. “I was a stay-at-home mom for seven years and I always enjoyed working with my girls and taking them to the library. After working as a teaching assistant for a year, I found that I wanted to do more of that.”

Here was also where she discovered her interest in working with ESL students in particular. “One of my students in the class spoke Spanish and was struggling the first few weeks. It was such a joy to see how he transformed from struggling with his English and adjusting to the class to being so much more confident.”

Knowing she wanted to continue her education, Zipporah decided to attend a graduate education workshop at Meredith. The fact that she could attend the two-and-a-half-year Master of Arts in Teaching program part time appealed to her. She became interested in the ESL program, and was encouraged by the high employment rate of Meredith education students.  

At Meredith, Zipporah was pleased by her professors’ efforts to be inclusive and socially aware. She also liked the smaller class sizes. Having completed her undergraduate degree at a larger university, she enjoyed the opportunity to form stronger relationships with her faculty. Not only did she feel that they truly cared for her on an individual level, but she appreciated that they shared their own lives with her.

During her studies, Zipporah faced challenges, such as balancing school, work, and life, as well as having to maintain focus on her coursework through family illness and personal stresses. “I have to carefully maintain my schedule. Being a substitute teacher, a wife, a mother, a daughter, a sister, a friend, is a challenge.”

Because of all these other demands, sometimes looking at the syllabus at the beginning of a semester can be overwhelming for Zipporah. “My professor told me not to look at everything at once: just take it bit by bit. It will fall into place. That was a good piece of advice.”

Despite these obstacles, Zipporah has found ways to navigate them and has come out stronger on the other side. “I’ve had to focus on the advice my grandmother gave me: always keep your faith, keep your sense of humor, and this too shall pass.”

At Meredith, Zipporah built on her personal strengths and the strong example set by her mother to establish herself as a role model for her daughters.

“I like the Meredith motto: ‘This is what strong looks like.’ It reminds me of my father. He’s been through a lot in his life, and he has persevered and taught me and my siblings how to face challenges directly. That’s how you get stronger and how you learn. My daughters are watching, and if I want them to do well in school and life I have to model that. I can’t just tell them.”

She found opportunities to strengthen her voice and her willingness to use it, and was encouraged by professors to speak her mind and advocate for her beliefs.  “I’ve learned that I have more in me than I thought I did. I’ve learned that I can speak up when I need to.”

In the future, Zipporah hopes to find a position teaching ESL students that will still allow her to dedicate time to her daughters and their education.

Meredith has influenced Zipporah to focus on growth rather than perfection, an idea she emphasizes to her daughters and students. “That’s why I’m in class. I’m still learning. I may not be where I want to be yet, but I’m getting there. Meredith has given me a stronger mindset.”

By Alex Rouch, ’20