“Aha moments are pure joy” — Steph Smithingell’s journey to becoming a teacher
Image: Education major Stephanie Smithingell poses for her Senior Spotlight Portrait, Wednesday, May 14, 2025, at PLU. (PLU Photo / Sy Bean)
By Britt Board
Assistant Director of Communications
For 14 years, Steph Smithingell ’25 ran an in-home childcare and preschool, building a community of curious, active, joyful kids. Now, as a soon-to-be PLU graduate, she’ll bring those experiences to her new career path as an elementary school teacher.
Steph is an education major and a nontraditional student who returned to school after building a business and raising a family. “I had three big dreams in my life: marry an amazing man and have a family, own a daycare, and be a teacher,” she shares. “Going to college right out of high school was not in the cards for me. This was a blessing…I would not trade my life or life experiences for anything.”
She describes her time running the daycare as rewarding, as it met multiple needs for her and her family. “I had the pleasure of caring for and teaching kids ages 6 weeks to 13 years. The daycare started, in part, so I could be home to raise my family,” she says. “It was the perfect way to combine being home with my kids and teaching other kids.”
Steph incorporated place-based learning into her preschool, taking children on frequent field trips to grocery stores, parks, and story time at the local library. “The kids experiencing life and learning how to navigate life situations was important to me. I wanted them to be good citizens. They were already great humans.”
A lot of this work dovetailed with the kinds of experiences she gained at PLU. Drawn to PLU’s strong reputation in teacher preparation, Steph says PLU also “just felt right.” And now, she’s proud of what she’s accomplished, including maintaining a 4.0 GPA. “I would not be where I am at school without my cohort and wonderful professors.”
While at PLU, Steph had the chance to take her love for hands-on learning into the broader community through the Snake Lake Community Science Fair. “Dr. Cathy Kim arranged everything for us. Without her, it would not have been possible!” Steph notes. Planning an event like this was both familiar and new. It gave her a behind-the-scenes look at organizing a science fair and a chance to celebrate young learners, something she’d been championing for years. “The kids put a lot of work into their super creative experiments. They seemed excited and happy with their awards.”
Going to college right out of high school was not in the cards for me. This was a blessing…I would not trade my life or life experiences for anything.
When asked what lights her up about teaching, she’s quick to answer. “My favorite thing is when they have been working hard on something they did not understand, and then they get it. Their face lights up! That aha moment is pure joy.”
With graduation on the horizon, she’s about to fulfill another one of her biggest life goals of becoming a teacher. Steph hopes to teach 2nd or 3rd grade — ideally at her current placement school or at her own kids’ elementary school. “I am so excited to have my own classroom!”
Wherever she lands, Steph has years of experience, a heart for teaching, and a PLU degree — her future students are in good hands.