# @educationillinois on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/Bw2m6ReJZcz
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/18698506-educationillinois-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/thumbnails/440c061529.jpg
- **Posted:** 2019-04-29T20:42:09.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** Education at Illinois (@educationillinois) — https://gondola.cc/educationillinois

## Caption

🎓 #ILLINOIS2019: Michael Caliendo

Michael’s Education journey actually started in the College of Engineering. Four years later, he’s finishing up his last few days student teaching in Italy before heading back to campus for commencement. 
Michael says he had always considered a job in the education field; however, decided to pursue an engineering degree. After getting involved in WYSE (Worldwide Youth in Science and Engineering) as a camp counselor though, the love for leading and teaching was instantly satisfying and led him to Dr. David Zola’s EPSY 201 class. Like many who had the privilege of knowing Dr. Zola, the rest is history. “One of the most influential people for me in education was Dr. David Zola. I could tell that he truly cared about what he did and he was one of the best teachers I’d met in my life. I transferred into the College of Education shortly after meeting with Dr. Zola for the first time.” Michael says his experience with the College of Education can be summed up in one word: developmental. After transferring College’s, it took some time to adjust to the differences, but it made all the difference. “I was talking a lot more in classes and I developed a lot more confidence and grew more comfortable with public speaking. The College really helped me develop in a way that made me a great educator.” Though #ILLINOIS is huge, Michael says he still sees the same people everywhere he goes. Being from a small town, he’s been able to make campus feel like home: “just a small town in the middle of corn fields.” After graduation, Michael plans to move to Wisconsin with his #ILLINOIS sweetheart where he hopes to make a difference in students’ lives in a middle school classroom. “I really want to make learning exciting and useful for my students. I want them to leave my class feeling like they learned something new and something that they will use in the real-world.”

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- **Likes:** 15
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## Tags

illinois, illinois2019

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