Emerson Prond had no idea that she would be teaching in Madrid, Spain when she graduated from Denison as an educational studies and cinema double major in 2023. Emerson now works as an English Language Teaching Assistant for The Community Of Madrid Ministry Of Education, a public school in a suburb of Madrid, Spain. Emerson did not expect to teach abroad and says that it all happened very fast and she was nervous at first, but has now learned so much more about herself and the field of education.
Emerson knew she wanted to work in education or media after Denison saying, “I knew that I wanted to work in something related to education or media, or perhaps something that is an intersection of the two. I am super passionate about utilizing media for educational purposes.” Emerson will be continuing her education this fall by attending graduate school for educational media and technology.
“I really wanted to get some more classroom experience so I know more about the spaces that I will be designing videos, apps, games, textbooks, and physical learning materials for. In the past I have worked for Nickelodeon and The Ohio Channel working on educational content. I do a little bit of freelance work in film from time to time also!” Emerson believes that her time teaching in a classroom right now will help prepare her for the work she will be doing next year with education and media.
Emerson believes that she fully immersed herself in Denison’s liberal arts education by majoring in both cinema and educational studies and by taking advantage of all the opportunities that her departments offered her. “I have a wide variety of academic and professional interests. That is why I chose Denison and loved it so much! Don’t be afraid to dabble in something even if you are worried that it’s impractical or doesn’t seem to fit with what your main course of study is.” Emerson is so grateful that she attended Denison and was able to try new things that she says will, “Come in handy when you least expect it.”
When looking back at how Denison prepared her for her career now, Emerson says that it’s the skills that you learn that will land you the job or internship, not just what you study. The part-time jobs student jobs that she held at Denison were where she learned the most valuable skills for her future. Emerson worked for RED Corps training in qualitative and quantitative research and she worked at the Academic Resource Center as an office assistant all four years at Denison.
“Don’t push yourself too hard and work eight jobs, but definitely take a part-time job that teaches you some practical workplace skills while you are in school,” Emerson said. She realizes the importance of the skills that she acquired through part-time jobs, tutoring, leading clubs, and building a portfolio of her coursework. “This will make a huge difference in your post-grad job search because you will have things to talk about!” Emerson is excited for her next steps in working with education and media!
