The impact of her father as well as one of her middle school teachers was enough to inspire Stephanie Wozniak to pursue a career in education.
“My dad was a teacher, and I really looked up to him when I was younger, of course,” she said. “I did have one teacher in middle school, his name was Mr. Daniel. He would do team building activities with us, and I always thought he was fun and different than any other teacher I’d had before.”
Wozniak said she loves to help students figure out their career plans, similarly to how her mentors helped her.
“Some students take my class and then decide they don’t want to pursue a teaching career, and that’s ok,” she said. “I’m there to help them figure it out.”
Wozniak is an assistant professor of the Early Childhood Education program, also known as ECE, at MCCC. She has taught classes for potential teachers and has administered field placements to help students discover their passions for teaching.
Kailee LaPlante, a student in two of Wozniak’s classes, said she realized she wanted to pursue education while taking her classes.
“Stephanie helped me realize I want to keep going and become a teacher. She made me a better person in class, and is a motivator,” she said.
Wozniak graduated from Monroe High School in 1999. By 2004, she had graduated from University of Toledo with her bachelor’s degree and Michigan State University with her master’s degree. She began as a kindergarten teacher at Summerfield Elementary school in the fall of 2004 and worked with young kids for over a decade. In 2017, she started her current position as an assistant professor of the ECE program at MCCC.
Wozniak said she had never thought about teaching before she graduated from high school.
“I wanted to be a dental hygienist, and when I was little, I wanted to be a fashion designer,” she said.
Even up until her high school graduation, teaching was still not a career Wozniak had seriously considered.
“When I graduated, I thought I wanted to go into public relations,” she said. “Clearly, that is not the direction I took.”
Wozniak said she had a couple of people who influenced her decision to become an educator before she knew that’s what she was going to study in college.
Wozniak said she has always loved working with kids, which factored into teaching being natural to her. She also said the lessons she has learned from her past teachers have influenced who she is as a teacher.
“I think what I took the most from Mr. Daniel was that feeling that he fostered,” she said. “You always felt welcome and could trust him. I’d like to think that’s something I took away and use in my classes now too.”
Wozniak’s co-teacher in the ECE program, professor Felice Moorman, said that Wozniak is exceptional in her role.
“I first met Stephanie in the fall of 2016 at an educational conference,” she said. “I sat with someone who was a part-time faculty member, and Stephanie came and joined us,” she said.
“Around the same time, I had written a grant to go on leave so that I could write a self-study for program accreditation.”
Moorman said Wozniak asked to keep her in mind at MCCC if an opening became available.
Moorman said when she needed someone to supervise students within their field placements, Stephanie came to mind immediately.
“I contacted Stephanie and let her know there was an opportunity,” Moorman said. “She got back with me, and ended up supervising field placements for two semesters while I was on leave.”
Wozniak’s experience in those field placements helped her be prepared when a position opened up for her.
Moorman said during her leave, a full-time position became available, and that Wozniak applied for it and got the job soon after.
Moorman said Wozniak has multiple traits that make her excel as a teacher. She said Wozniak’s personality is key and plays a large role in the impact she has on students.
“I think she’s personable, and students connect and feel human with someone like that,” Moorman said. “Who she brings to the classroom is part of what makes students identify with her. I think that’s probably one of Stephanie’s strongest qualities.”
Moorman said she enjoys working directly with Wozniak because they work together very well and share ideas.
“We bounce ideas off of each other, and I think that’s unique,” Moorman said. “Once you find somebody that you team well with, that’s a unique situation. Not everybody can say they work well together.”
Moorman said they both share with each other and allow each other to learn through their individual experiences as professors. Moorman said that Wozniak is an exceptional collaborator who is always willing to help others.
“We’ve done things where we have taught together, collaboratively,” Moorman said. “I think co-teaching is good for all kids because there’s a higher chance of having someone you identify with. I think Stephanie has been that person for a lot of kids she’s taught.”
“I taught kindergarten for years and have much more experience with young children,” Wozniak said. “Regardless, I’m glad to be where I am now, helping college students become teachers at the next level.”
Moorman also said she thinks Wozniak might have never expected to end up at MCCC teaching college courses because she has always seen herself as an elementary teacher.
“I would 100% think that she probably never anticipated that her road would end up here at MCCC,” Moorman said. “But I’m very glad she did.”
