News Release

‘Busy’ is an understatement for education major Megan Kopp

October 6, 2008

Megan Kopp

To say Middletown resident Megan Kopp was “busy” would be an understatement.

Married and expecting her first child on Christmas Day, excelling in a demanding major at Penn State Harrisburg, student teaching, and a member of the Pennsylvania Air National Guard, Megan “hasn’t had a day off in four years.” But she adds, “It’s all been worth it.”

Her efforts have been rewarded with a $2,000 scholarship from the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. Megan serves as president of the ASCD student chapter at Penn State Harrisburg, designed to accelerate the professional growth of preservice educators.

As a Secondary Education Social Studies major, Megan’s keys to balancing what seems to be an overwhelming schedule are two words – organization and goals. “I’m a very organized and goal-setting,” the Bishop McDevitt High School grad points out. “If I don’t set goals, I can’t stay on task. Right now, my immediate goal is to graduate.”

And she sings the praises of the Penn State Harrisburg/Harrisburg Area Community College dual enrollment opportunity as a key in helping her stay focused and completing her degree in four years. Megan spent the first two years of her college experience at HACC in the dual enrollment program which provides academic advising from both campuses, assuring that course selection is correct and preparing for a student’s transfer to Penn State Harrisburg for the junior and senior years.

She also raves about the School of Behavioral Sciences and Education and the quality of the education and preparation she received prior to her student teaching assignment this semester at Elizabethtown Middle School. “I am so fortunate,” she says. “There is phenomenal one-on-one interaction with the faculty throughout all my classes; it was a great experience. I’m ready for student teaching and know I will have immediate advice from faculty if I need it.”

Her commitment to the military came in her senior year of high school when she enlisted in the Guard and is assigned to the 193 rd Special Operations Wing based in Middletown. As a staff sergeant, she has the “unique job” of serving as a chaplain’s assistant. “I perform administrative duties and organize chapel activities when not deployed,” she says. “But when deployed, I will serve as a bodyguard for the chaplain who is a noncombatant.” And her husband of two years, Brandon, is a technical sergeant with the same Guard unit who has been deployed to the Middle East three times – the last time for four months.

At the present time, Megan’s primary goal is to complete her student teaching experience, take a few months off with her newborn, and then land a teaching job in September of 2009.