Abby (Duvall) Snowberger '21 started her journey at Geneva College in 2018, graduating in December 2021 with a bachelor’s degree in elementary and special education with minors in psychology and reading methods.
Abby knew from an early age that she wanted to become a teacher. She always loved working with kids, and her love only grew once she took a child development class during her junior year of high school. In the class, she began to learn how to teach children their motor skills, letters, numbers, and more.
Although Abby quickly knew what she wanted to major in, she still needed to make the important decision of where to attend college. Abby wanted to go to a small Christian college, which is why she researched Geneva and scheduled a visit. On her visit, she experienced how friendly and genuine the staff and faculty were as they wanted to get to know her as a person not just someone who might attend Geneva someday.
Once accepted at Geneva, she was invited to join the First-Year Honors Program which gave her another avenue to meet people and engage in purposeful learning.
“I really enjoyed the Honors Program. Not only did I get to deepen my thinking, but I loved that all the girls in the program lived together. It allowed us to build community together and through that, I have met some of my best friends.”
Not only was Abby involved in the Honors Program, she also became a resident assistant (RA) during her sophomore and junior years. Although being an RA was not always easy, she is thankful for the leadership skills it taught her.
“Being an RA helps you grow as a leader and gives you the ability to learn how to walk through difficult situations with people.”
As Abby worked closer to finishing her degree, she was more and more excited about becoming a teacher herself one day. She spent her time volunteering with Big Brothers Big Sisters and became president of the Geneva Student Education Association (GSEA).
Abby is now a pre-kindergarten teacher at Klein Independent School District in Houston, Texas. In Texas, pre-k is needs-based, which means that all of her students either have special needs, are learning English as a second language, or live in government housing. Although this can make for many challenging days, Abby enjoys being able to interact with her students daily and shower them with love.
“My favorite part about my job is that I may not know what their home life looks like, but I love being able to be a safe place for them. My students know they come to school to someone who loves them and cares for them.”
Another element Abby brings into her classroom is the biblical worldview she shaped during her time at Geneva. In each of her college courses, she was taught the content she needed, and she additionally learned how her faith could be integrated into her classroom one day even in a public-school setting.
“It’s a part of my everyday teaching even though I can’t directly say it. Every student I teach is one of God’s children and I keep that in the back of my head every day.”
Abby is very thankful for her time at Geneva. Through the community she built and the knowledge she learned, she was shaped to become the best teacher she can be, loving her students well even when it is difficult.
-Lexi Meese '21, MBA '22
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