Published Thursday, October 10th, 2024
Part of the 2024-25 Student Spotlight series, featuring Jessica Loberg of Carroll, Neb.
Her love of working with kids is what inspired Jessica Loberg to return to Wayne State College and get a degree in Elementary Education. The senior from Carroll, Neb., is this week’s subject of the Student Spotlight series.
While Loberg had already earned a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from Wayne State, she said working with kids as a foster care specialist was rewarding, but it didn’t leave her with a sense of fulfillment. She found that while working as a paraprofessional at Wayne Elementary School.
“It opened up an entirely new world for me,” said Loberg. “I knew then that I wanted to be a teacher.”
Loberg admits being a nontraditional student (she’s married with three children) was going to be challenging, but she found a great support system with her friends and instructors at Wayne State.
“It’s been absolutely wonderful coming back to college,” said Loberg. “The education instructors have been very supportive of me and my family, and they genuinely want everyone to succeed in the classroom. They will even ask me about my kids’ activities in school, and then use the information during their classroom lessons. It’s been fantastic!”
Loberg will begin student teaching in January 2025 and graduate in May 2025. She intends to pursue a teaching career in Northeast Nebraska.
Loberg and her husband, David, have three children – Ryan, Hallie, and Morgan.