Diving Into the Deep End of Education
Lauren Nico Wants Students to Swim, Not Sink
Eager students disembark from bright, yellow school buses at Jackson Elementary School. A lunch sack and crumpled homework assignments from the previous day are clenched tightly in their hands. Smiles reach from cheek to cheek for today is no usual day, a substitute will be teaching class. On the board “Ms. Nico”, is written in the perfect handwriting that only elementary school teachers can manage. Dressed in a grey sweater with black pants, smiling at the front of the class, is Ms. Nico. She is new to the Whittier School District. Pieces of brightly colored paper and markers are displayed on the desks for todays lesson on topic sentences. Nervously clearing her throat, Nico begins with a brief self-introduction and class starts.
Lauren Nico, a class of 2014 Whittier College graduate, is working daily to improve the education of elementary students as a teacher. A double major in English and Spanish, Nico graduated Magna Cum Laude from Whittier with a 3.875 GPA. Currently, she is attending the Education Graduate School at Whittier College to obtain her multiple-subject teaching credentials.
Looking back on her undergraduate days, Nico says that learning how to balance her schedule was the key. “I always prioritized my academics; they got harder and easier each year for different reasons. Freshman year wasn’t hard academically, but it was hard adjusting to living on my own, making friends, balancing a social life with swim practice and school. Sophomore year, I took a lot of English courses. During the fall of my junior year, I studied abroad in Alicante, Spain and took most of my Spanish credits there,” says Nico, while she busily organizes students’ work from the day’s activities. On this day, the students began writing topic sentences accompanied with images of activities they enjoy. “When I came back [from Spain] I started my upper-level education courses to obtain my multiple-subject teaching credential. Senior year, I took senior seminar for English and then most of my classes were education.”
Not only was Nico a gifted student, she also was a dedicated and talented athlete. A four-year letter winner for Swimming & Diving, Nico currently places in Whittier College’s Top Ten in the 200 Back, 200 Fly, 500 Free, 1000 Free and 1650 Free disciplines. She was a crucial component of team, swimming distance freestyle and distance stroke. Nico was named to the SCIAC all-academic team three years in a row (athletes are only eligible after completing a complete academic year). She also helped the team earn Scholar All-America Academic recognition. Her senior year, she was awarded the Presidential Scholar Award by Whittier Athletics, President Sharon Hertzberger, and Athletic Director Rob Coleman for achieving the highest cumulative GPA of graduating female athletes.
Since graduating from her undergraduate studies, Nico has been working on earning her Master of Arts in Education. Typically, it takes about two years to earn this degree and students usually take two classes per semester. “I took four this semester, I’m taking 3 next semester, and I was going to take summer classes. I initially was scheduled to graduate a semester early, but I decided I didn’t want to do summer classes anymore so I’ll be graduating spring 2017,” says Nico.
In addition to being a full-time student, Nico is also a gaining job experience, a necessary part of earning credentials, as a substitute schoolteacher within the Los Angeles area. Currently, she subs in classes ranging from kindergarten to 6th grade three to four times weekly. “Now that I’m substituting in the Whittier city school district, I get to see all different grades. Before I started subbing, I thought I wanted to teach 2nd or 3rd grade, but I didn’t know what I was talking about. I just assumed that would be a good grade. So, now I’m really all over the board,” exclaimed Nico. “Now, I think I want to teach either 4th or 5th grade, maybe even middle school. I like to be able to joke with the kids. The sarcasm in middle school cracks me up. But then again, kindergarten is fun in its own way.”
“That moment when you see a kid get [the concept] you know you are doing the right thing.”
Nico says she chose to continue her studies in education, because she wanted to make a difference in young people’s lives. “In my junior year in high school, we did internships for about three weeks. I did mine at an elementary school. During my internship, there was a specific instance where I knew that education was something I wanted to do. I was working with a student on counting by fives and we used our hands and our feet to make it to 30. I was with this girl, and she just didn’t get how to do it. I used my fingers and toes over and over again. As soon as we got to the number [the student] just got it and I just knew this what I wanted to do,” says Nico. “That moment when you see a kid get [the concept] you know you are doing the right thing. That’s exactly why I am here, to help them.”
Although it may seem like excelling came easily to Nico, she says that wasn’t always the case. “I gave up my health for my first few years of college. I was sick all the time because I tried to have a social life and didn’t get enough sleep because of swim practice. After my freshmen year, I found a good balance,” she says. “I was practicing over three hours a day for swim, between time in the pool and the weight room. We also had meets or practice every Saturday, which lasted all day. It was brutal to say the least. I was up every day at 5 a.m. for practice, and not many people understand it but it’s really hard to start your day off completely exhausted. I remember going to morning classes and just wanting to pass out.”
She looks exhausted just talking about it. But says that time management and persistence eventually paid off. “If school isn’t your first priority then you aren’t going to go anywhere. I get frustrated when people say they can’t do well in school or accomplish their goals, because it all comes down to time management and your dedication. Athletes are able to understand this better than anyone else because they are forced to do it.”
Fellow Whittier College graduate and four-year swim team member, Kimberly Hallstead, agrees. “The only way you are going to be successful both in and out of the pool is by planning your time and being on top of things. Lauren did this perfectly. Nothing great is accomplished easily and [Nico] worked very hard to accomplish her goals,” says Hallstead.
Nico says she plans to apply for jobs at elementary schools in Los Angeles when she completes her Masters’ Degree in the spring of 2017. She looks forward to teaching grades anywhere between K-6, including special education. As an educator, Nico is well aware of the issues facing education in the United States.
“Teaching to the test is an issue. Students are memorizing and not actually learning concepts.”
“Teaching to the test is an issue. Students are memorizing and not actually learning concepts. We are working with the common core, which tries to get students thinking in different ways. For example, 7+8 would be converted into 10+5. Grouping into 10’s and then adding off that,” she says. “I’ve also seen a big difference in the type of teaching and learning as you drive closer to the 605 and then over the mountain. I hate to say it, but generally the lower the socioeconomic class, the lower the achievement. It breaks my heart. But that’s why I am here. I want to help educate them and make a difference in their lives.”
