Education Alumni

Ingrid Vredevoogd

Ingrid Vredevoogd began her college journey at Michigan State University but soon realized she wanted a more connected learning environment that was closer to home. Transferring to Aquinas gave her just that: a community where she could build meaningful relationships with professors and classmates while deepening her passion for teaching.

Because she transferred after three years, she only needed 30 credits to graduate from AQ with an ESL minor and her general education degree. Unfortunately, there wasn't enough time for her to earn all her student-teaching hours and her certification. Despite this hurdle, she made excellent connections during her time at Aquinas that led her to her first role as an English teacher at San Juan Diego Academy. She taught there for two years while she took her AME classes at Aquinas, which helped her earn her certification. 

Ingrid currently teaches at Grandville High School. Read the full story. 

 

Traci Conrad

Traci Conrad, who earned her degree in early childhood education from Aquinas in 2022, continues to inspire young learners every day. 

“After I finished my bachelor’s degree, I thought, okay, let’s keep going,” she explained. “I got my teaching certificate through the AME program, and that definitely set me up for success. I passed the State of Michigan certification exam right away, on the first try. I just felt that every class I had taken at Aquinas led me to success for that. It was all spelled out for me, so I was ready for it.” 

Today, after years of learning and growth, she has her own classroom and plans to stay there as long as possible. Read the full story.