Every odd block day, senior Mallory O’Neal is greeted by a chorus of excited voices the moment she walks into Ms. Zimmerman’s classroom at Benninghoven Elementary.

“Mallorys here!” they shout.

Not too long ago, O’Neal was in their shoes, a former student herself; she now balances her time mentoring first graders in the morning and fourth graders in the afternoon.

“I went to Benninghoven, so it was really fun to be back there,” O’Neal said, “It kind of just clicked one day that I wanted to be a teacher.” 

Before starting the Career Center Connection (CCC)  program, O’Neal admitted to having misconceptions about teaching; instead, she tended to put herself in classes with a high academic rigor. 

“I thought that teacher ED was lower than AP classes. But it’s not – being a teacher – that is really awesome,” O’Neal said. “I realized I love working with kids so much and have done it my whole life.”

This realization has led her to a busy senior schedule with the Teachers’ Ed program. Now, O’Neal spends her seventh hour in Ms. Zimmerman’s fourth-grade classroom, the same teacher who has mentored her all year. This semester, she added the CCC program to her plate, spending her third hour with Ms. Hoke’s first graders, both in Benninghoven.

O’Neal loves the energy of the younger kids but found her niche with the fourth graders.

“The first graders are so cute, but you have to teach them how to read,”  O’Neal said.

“I have patience, but that seems really hard. Fourth graders know what they’re doing, long division or cool science experiments.”

  She makes a point to greet every kid by name and offer them hugs, making an effort so that they feel seen the same way she felt when she was their age. 

“Mallory, how old are you?” a first grader asked O’Neal. 

“Well, I’m a senior.”

“So after this year, we’re never going to see you again,” they said. “Are we?” 

  “It just made me want to cry, because these kids have been inspiring to get to work with,” O’Neal said.

The bonds she has formed with her students have gone beyond. 

“They’re my friends,” O’Neal said. “I could go on for hours telling you stories about the things these kids say or do. I know all their names.”

As graduation approaches, O’Neal’s experiences at Benninghoven solidified her next steps. Next year, she plans to attend K-State University to major in elementary education.

Having already attended a summer summit at the College of Education, she feels prepared to study at K-State and turn her passion into a career. Through the CCC program, O’Neal has learned what it takes to be an educator. Before this experience, she didn’t know what it would be like in the classroom, but now she can truly envision herself there surrounded by fourth graders. She is looking forward to making every student feel special and authentic to themselves. 

“I see how much those experiences in elementary school really impacted me to where I am today,” O’Neal said. 

For O’Neal, the transition from being a CCC student in high school to an educator as an adult is less about the job and more about the impact on her students. 

“Teaching is the foundation of everything,” O’Neal said. “Whether you’re an astronaut or world leader, you had a teacher who shaped you.”