Skip to main content
  • Home
  • About
  • Faculty Experts
  • For The Media
  • Videos
  • Topics
    • Alumni
    • Events
    • Faculty
    • Library
    • Research
    • Students
    • All Topics
  • Contact
  • Submit
Health & Society
  • All News
  • Arts & Culture
  • Business & Economy
  • Campus & Community
  • Health & Society
  • Media, Law & Policy
  • STEM
  • Veterans
  • |
  • Alumni
  • The Peel
  • Athletics
Sections
  • All News
  • Arts & Culture
  • Business & Economy
  • Campus & Community
  • Health & Society
  • Media, Law & Policy
  • STEM
  • Veterans
  • |
  • Alumni
  • The Peel
  • Athletics
  • Home
  • About
  • Faculty Experts
  • For The Media
  • Videos
  • Topics
    • Alumni
    • Events
    • Faculty
    • Library
    • Research
    • Students
    • All Topics
  • Contact
  • Submit
Health & Society

Falk Senior’s Teaching Fellowship Was ‘Unexpectedly Challenging, Tirelessly Engaging and Utterly Rewarding’

Friday, April 17, 2020, By Valerie Cramer
Share
Department of Human Development and Family ScienceFalk College of Sport and Human Dynamics

Tyler Ashley Smith ’20 thought Syracuse University was the perfect fit—but not for the reasons she was expecting. “When I was applying to colleges, I wanted to be close to a big city and figured that Syracuse University would be close to New York City,” says Smith. “When I finally visited campus, I discovered two things: One, it was definitely not close to the big city. And two, the spirit on campus was completely infectious and I knew I wanted to spend my four years here.”

She enrolled, certain that she wanted to become a writer—that is, until she heard about Falk College’s human development and family science program. “I switched my major and began a new and exciting journey that little did I know, would shape my passions and intentions for after school.”

During her time in the Falk College as a human development and family science major, Smith has explored new interests, learning about herself and others through applied learning experiences, from her hometown to Hong Kong.

As a junior, Smith traveled to Hong Kong for a semester and interned at Mother’s Choice, a non-profit that works with pregnant teens and children without families. “While I was there, I engaged in and produced some of the most meaningful work I have done in my life,” says Smith. “I conducted observation-based research and built a new culturally-aware, developmentally-sound Early Intervention Model that addresses the quality of transition from Hong Kong to Western homes for Mother’s Choice to use in their future adoptions with Western families.”

group of employees from Mother's Choice nonprofit in Hong Kong

As a junior, Smith (center) traveled to Hong Kong for a semester and interned at Mother’s Choice, a non-profit that works with pregnant teens and children without families.

“My biggest takeaway was that although there was a major language barrier at times, the power of matched passion overcame any difficulty of understanding each other’s words,” she adds.

In summer 2019, Smith took an opportunity closer to home: a three-month teaching fellowship with Generation Teach in Denver, Colorado, her hometown. “I applied on a whim and got an offer to teach seventh-grade reading and improv acting,” she said. “To describe my experience in few words: unexpectedly challenging, tirelessly engaging and utterly rewarding.”

Much like she stumbled across a new major at Syracuse University, Smith says this fellowship opened her eyes to a new career passion she didn’t know she had. “I knew I wanted to work with kids but was unsure about the medium in which I would do so. From the three short months I fellowed with Generation Teach, I developed a sound passion for leading a classroom and connecting with students.”

Smith’s time with Generation Teach opened doors to new opportunities after graduation, she says, including a K-5 full-time teaching position at a public charter school in Denver. “I am ecstatic to lean in and grow even more in the field of education,” she says. “I am beyond thankful for the connections and resources that Syracuse University and the Falk College have introduced to me. I simply could not have experienced the internships, fellowships and more without this program.”

For more information about the Department of Human Development and Family Science at Syracuse University’s Falk College, please visit the Falk College website.

  • Author

Valerie Cramer

  • Recent
  • Search Committee Appointed to Identify Candidates for Next Chief, Campus Safety and Emergency Management Services
    Wednesday, April 14, 2021, By News Staff
  • ‘Build Your Financial Know-How’ Wellness Workshops Offered to Faculty and Staff in May
    Wednesday, April 14, 2021, By News Staff
  • Campus Celebrates First-Generation Student Appreciation Week
    Wednesday, April 14, 2021, By Gabrielle Lake
  • Pfizer Vaccine Appointments Available for Friday, April 16, at the Barnes Center
    Wednesday, April 14, 2021, By News Staff
  • Syracuse Law Review and SUNY Upstate Announce Writing Contest Winners
    Wednesday, April 14, 2021, By Robert Conrad

More In Health & Society

Roundtable to Explore Vaccine History, Racial Disparities Within the Medical System, and COVID-19 Vaccine Options

The Barnes Center at The Arch, in partnership with the College of Law, COVID Project Management Office, Office of Student Living and Office of Diversity and Inclusion, will host a roundtable on Friday, April 16, at 1 p.m. focused on…

Syracuse University Partners With Syracuse City School District to Provide Pathways to Higher Learning

Syracuse University embraces its commitment to promoting positive change that simultaneously advances knowledge and opportunity for all citizens. A large part of that commitment is providing access to a Syracuse University education to local high school students. In partnership with…

Lender Center for Social Justice Hosts Community Conversation on Race, Disability and Justice

The Lender Center for Social Justice, along with the Center on Disability and Inclusion and the Landscape of Urban Education Lecture Series, is bringing the community together for a broad-ranging discussion on Policed Bodies: A Community Conversation on Race, Disability…

Graduate Student Works With Food Policy Council to Combat Rising Food Scarcity Due to COVID

Nel Gaudé worked in kitchens for a decade before now pursuing a master’s degree in food studies. This tangible professional cooking experience gives them insight and allows them to think creatively about issues related to their coursework. After Gaudé was…

Online Master of Social Work Opens Doors to Career Changers, Working Professionals

The School of Social Work will welcome its first cohort of online master’s students in May, and Professor Ken Marfilius is excited. “We are already seeing strong applications for our first cohort of 50 students. I think the COVID-19 pandemic…

Subscribe to SU Today

If you need help with your subscription, contact sunews@syr.edu.

Connect With Us

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Youtube
  • LinkedIn
Social Media Directory

For the Media

Find an Expert Follow @SyracuseUNews
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Youtube
  • LinkedIn
  • @SyracuseU
  • @SyracuseUNews
  • @SUCampus
  • Social Media Directory
  • Accessibility
  • Privacy
  • Campus Status
  • Syracuse.edu
© 2021 Syracuse University News. All Rights Reserved.