Meet the Ambassadors
Dr. Jo Watts Williams School of Education Ambassadors
The Watts Williams School of Education Ambassadors are a diverse group of student leaders who represent and serve as a voice for undergraduate students of all majors/minors within the school. Ambassadors host recruitment events/activities and offer support to prospective and fellow undergraduate students while creating a more meaningful experience in the school.
Serving as an Ambassador is a significant honor within the Watts Williams School of Education. Ambassadors will have the unique experience of serving as a student leader and voice for their peers among faculty and staff, and assist the school in recruitment and retention of highly qualified students.
The program advisor is Jennifer Strange and Abby Saracino ’23 is the President.
Meet the 2022-2023 Watts Williams School of Education Ambassadors below.
Caroline Allen '23
Caroline Allen is a senior majoring in Outdoor Leadership and Education with a minor in Teaching. Growing up in nearby Mebane, North Carolina, she had a strong love for Elon University at an early age. As a transfer student to Elon, she has enjoyed building connections and relationships with those who have the same passion as she does in the education world. She wants others to see how special becoming an educator really is. One of her favorite parts of being in the School of Education is getting the early experience within the classroom through practicums. She is excited to continue her journey and is very grateful for the opportunity to be one of the School of Education Ambassadors! She is looking forward to welcoming and sharing with other future educators!
Elizabeth Czenczek ’23
Elizabeth Czenczek is a senior Elon Teaching Fellow and North Carolina Teaching Fellow majoring in elementary and special education. She is from Richmond, Virginia and has wanted to be a teacher almost her whole life. Since coming to Elon she has loved the close knit community and incredible support from faculty in the school of education. Through student teaching opportunities starting in her first year she was able to find her true passion for teaching and has gained so much experience in different classroom settings throughout the local school system. She has always enjoyed working with kids and is fascinated by how their minds work. Kids are truly the future of this world and she finds it important to give them all the tools possible in the classroom to be something great. Spring 2022 Elizabeth had the opportunity to travel abroad to Copenhagen, Denmark and student teach at a Danish public school in 8th and 3rd grade classrooms. Through this experience she was able to gain a more global perspective on education and is excited to bring everything she learned into her own classroom one day. She is excited to serve as a School of Education Ambassador and looks forward to sharing the education community with more people.
Caroline Durham '23
Caroline Durham is a senior from Ponte Vedra, Florida majoring in Elementary Education and Spanish with a minor in TESOL. Though she is involved with several organizations across campus, the School of Education has always been her favorite group of people. Through her time in the School of Education, she has built great relationships with faculty, met some amazing role models, gotten involved in the local community, and been introduced to some of her best friends. She is so excited to share her love of the School of Education with others and cannot speak highly enough of the opportunities Elon can provide. She is so excited and honored to be an ambassador for Elon’s School of Education and is looking forward to welcoming many prospective students into this incredible place.
Genevieve Emerson '23
Genevieve Emerson is a senior Honors Fellow majoring in Adventure Based Learning and Strategic Communications. She is from Denver, Colorado, and was introduced to Adventure Based Learning and outdoor education in elementary school. Since coming to Elon, Genevieve has realized her continued interest in outdoor education, and how we can use adventure experiences to foster unique styles of teaching and learning. This passion for Adventure Based Learning is fueling her thesis research, which she will complete in her senior year. She is excited to be a School of Education Ambassador and is eager to spread the word about Adventure Based Learning.
Alexa Goldberg '23
Alexa Goldberg is a senior Elon Teaching Fellow, majoring in mathematics with teacher licensure. She is from the suburbs of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and one of her favorite things about the School of Education is the close-knit community which is fostered by the amazing relationships with the faculty and peers. From completing practicum hours in Alamance County classrooms to completing research on Math Anxiety, she also loves the School of Education because of the countless opportunities they have provided so she may become a better future educator. While on campus, she is involved in Elon Academy as a CAT Mentor along with serving as a Tour Guide with Elon Admissions. She is excited to represent the Dr. Jo Watts Williams School of Education as an Ambassador and have the opportunity to share her wonderful experiences and love for Elon’s Education program!
Lindsey Hefty '25
Lindsey Hefty is a second-year Teaching Fellow from Lawrence, Kansas, and is majoring in Elementary Education with a minor in Women, Gender, and Sexuality studies. She chose to attend Elon because of the extensive amount of classroom experience students are offered both through placement and volunteer work. Educators hold an important role in creating a better world for all, and the Dr. Jo Watts Williams School of Education at Elon prepares future educators to do just that. On-campus, she serves as her teaching fellow cohort’s class chair, is a resident assistant in the colonnades neighborhood, works in the Teaching Fellows office, serves as a . She is incredibly excited to continue to become more involved in the school of education and cannot wait to create change through education!
Lily Hill '25
Lily Hill is a first-year elementary education major with a minor in early childhood. She is from Hingham, Massachusetts and is extremely excited to represent the Dr. Jo Watts Williams School of Education as an Ambassador. She is studying education because she has always dreamed of being a teacher and thinks it is so amazing how educators can make such a large impact in the lives of their students. The Watts Williams School of Education at Elon stood out to her compared to other education programs because of it's hands on approach to learning and one-on-one time with the students in the classrooms. She is involved in Relay for Life: entertainment committee and a student orientation leader. In the future, Lily hopes to study abroad in Switzerland. She also plans to hike Mount Kilimanjaro.
Julie Hoffmeister '23
Julie Hoffmeister is a senior elementary education major from Needham Massachusetts. She loves the Dr. Jo Watts Williams School of Education because of the close knit community and all the wonderful professors. She is excited to serve as an Ambassador and looks forward to meeting with prospective students who are interested in the field of education.
Alice Rickards '24
Alice Rickards is an elementary education major and a third year Teaching Fellow. She is from right outside Philadelphia; however, she is loving the North Carolina weather! She is a teacher candidate in the School of Education because of the professor-student partnerships, research opportunities, commitment to engaged learning and a phenomenal support system for those passionate about education. She is a tour guide, a member of an all-gendered service "fraternity" and involved in the Elon Outdoors club. She is incredibly thankful to have the opportunity and privilege to be part of the School of Education, Teaching Fellows program and the Elon community as a whole. Alice is excited to be in her junior year and to study abroad in New Zealand in the spring!
Caroline Sant '23
Caroline Sant is a senior from St. Louis, MO and is majoring in elementary education with a minor in early childhood education. Caroline loves the Dr. Jo Watts Williams School of Education because of the endless support she has from this community and the countless opportunities, both in and outside of the classroom, she has experienced. Some of the highlights from these opportunities include working with the It's Takes A Village Project, Parent's Night Out, the Intercultural Learning Certificate Program (ILCP), and her placement in a local Kindergarten classroom last spring. She especially looks forward to student teaching in the spring and strongly believes that the Dr. Jo Watts Williams School of Education has prepared her well to take on this role. Caroline is thrilled to be an ambassador and couldn't imagine a better place to call home on campus.
Abby Saracino '23
Abby Saracino is a senior Teaching Fellow from Oxford, Connecticut and is majoring in elementary and special education. The School of Education is one of her favorite places on campus. Through her time spent in Mooney, she has been able to meet some of the most amazing people, been given wonderful opportunities, and felt tremendous support. When she was applying to schools, Elon’s program stood out as having a strong emphasis on giving students as much experience in the classroom as possible, starting with placements in the first or second year. From practicum to tutoring and connecting with the community, to engaging in research and study abroad options, the School of Education has all of the resources needed to prepare her to become a well-rounded educator. Abby is so excited to work as a School of Education Ambassador and represent her home away from home!
Campbell Stenson '23
Campbell Stenson is a senior in Elon’s Elementary Education program with a Psychology minor. From Charlotte, NC, Campbell has always loved working with children. She feels that teachers are some of the most important people in our society; where would we be without all of our teachers? Everyone has that one teacher from Elementary school that they remember in detail despite being so young. The teachers who supported us, encouraged us despite our struggles and doubts, and showed us kindness every day of the year. Campbell wants to be that teacher for her future students. The one that encourages children to push beyond what they think they can do and to follow their aspirations. She was excited to join the Elon Ed community because of the opportunities provided throughout every semester as well as the lifetime relationships created, and Elon has not disappointed. In her free time, Campbell loves to curl up with a good book or hit the weight room at the gym. She is excited to be on the ambassador team her senior year!
Dani Toma-Harrold '23
Dani Toma-Harrold is a senior Teaching Fellow from Decatur, Georgia majoring in elementary education and minoring in African/African American Studies and environmental education. She is very excited to be a School of Ed ambassador! One of her favorite things about the School of Ed is that everyone is so passionate about education. All of her professors and peers are committed to changing the world of education for the better. From researching the connection between antiracism and environmental education to tutoring in the Village Project to working directly in the schools during her practicum, the School of Ed has provided her with so many great opportunities to get involved with the community and develop her teaching skills! Most importantly, everyone is willing to support you at any step of the process. She can’t wait to share everything that the School of Ed has to offer!
Madison Trent '23
Madison Trent is majoring in elementary education and minoring in TESOL. She is from Sparta, NJ. She is making the most of her experiences in the School of Education from research to time in the classroom. Madison participates in The Village Project and is a Curriculum Coordinator for Parents Night Out. Madison is excited to be a part of the School of Education Ambassador Program and help others see what wonderful things happen.
Heidi Weston '23
Heidi Weston is a senior Elon Teaching Fellow from Burke, Virginia, majoring in history with teacher licensure and minoring in political science. She is studying education because she believes education is the key to building a better world. Heidi is involved with several organizations across Elon’s campus, but being a member of the School of Education is by far her favorite. During her time with the School of Ed thus far, Heidi has been able to conduct undergraduate research, been involved in the greater Elon community via school placements, and studied abroad at the University of Glasgow in spring 2022. Heidi is proud to be part of a School of Education which is devoted to developing diversity, equity, and inclusion minded educators.