Tala Pirouzian: 2016-2017 Mary Roosevelt Honor Scholarship in Teaching and Learning

At the 2016-2017 Master of Arts in Teaching Recognition Ceremony, Tala Pirouzian was awarded a Mary Roosevelt Honor Scholarship in Teaching and Learning for excellence in academics, demonstrated leadership skills, and dedication to improving the lives and educational opportunities of students. Tala is pursuing her MAT with a Single Subject Teaching Credential in English. Below, she shares her thoughts about her educational journey and her chosen career. 

October 2016

I am from Irvine, California. I have spent most of my educational years, with the exception of two years that I studied at an international school in Iran, attending schools in Irvine.
 
Upon graduating from high school, I attended Cal State University Fullerton for two years, and then transferred to UCI. During my time at Cal State Fullerton, I became involved in research focusing on multilingual and multicultural English pedagogy. My two years of undergraduate education at UCI developed my passion for English literature, law, and education. As an undergraduate, I gained experiences through my coursework, volunteer teaching assistantship, Irvine City Council internship, and independent study research. I graduated this spring with a major in English, minor in Political Science, and specialization in teaching.
 
I have chosen UCI's MAT program for my graduate studies because of its curriculum, reputation, and the opportunities that it offers. Thus far, it has been a valuable journey learning about teaching theories and strategies, as well as returning to my former high school as a student teacher. I look forward to being an educator because it is an inspiring and enlightening opportunity to make significant contributions, locally and abroad, to educational systems and communities.

Mary Roosevelt and Tala Pirouzian