Kelli Swanson, C’15, Spanish and K-12 Education
“North Park is special to me for so many reasons. Both my grandparents, my aunt, and my uncle are all graduates of NPU, so I am a third-generation graduate. My grandparents, Armour and Beverly Swanson, have a corner of the library and a classroom in the Johnson Center dedicated to them. There was no pressure for me to go to North Park but the second I walked onto campus for a tour, I leaned over to my sister and told her it was where I wanted to be.
One of my favorite memories from North Park is from my first year and in Linda Parkyn’s SPAN 2010 class. One day Professor Parkyn had us singing Christmas carols, in Spanish of course, at the tops of our lungs in Carlson Tower. This memory is just one of many that showed me I was in the right major.
North Park’s School of Education prepared me to be the teacher I am today, and I am genuinely thankful for the professors that guided me to success. Because of North Park, I officially earned my tenure status, completed five years of service at my school, and have a Master’s of Education in Education Technology.“
We’re celebrating 130 years of North Park community. You’re invited to share your own story at www.northpark.edu/share130