Courtney Perkins, a junior education major and member of the Activities Program Board (APB) is an example of what it means to be dedicated to helping others and creating a strong community. 

Perkins is dual majoring in early childhood education and special education. She felt the most drawn toward early childhood education, “My mom is a preschool teacher, and I went in a few times with her, and I just love little kids. My neighbors at home have many grandchildren, and I always go over to help them.” After further consideration, she decided that dual childhood education and special education would make the most sense. “During my campus tour, I was informed that having a dual in Special Ed would be good because you may have a student or two in your classroom with a disability, so it’s good to know that information.”

When choosing the right school for her, Ship felt like the obvious choice.” My dad is a Ship alumnus, and I knew I wanted to stay in the state, but not too close to home,” she explained. “I chose Ship because I knew they had a good teacher program, and I fell in love with all the program and how welcoming it was.”

She also noted her excitement about the on-campus learning lab for aspiring educators. “When I learned about the on-campus elementary school I was like, that’s amazing. I went down there for observations, and it’s great down there.”

Aside from her passion for education, Perkins also stays active by being a member on the Activities Programming Board (APB). During her freshman year, she felt inspired to join APB as a way to network and build friendships. “I went to APB events and enjoyed how they were run. I then realized that it was something I would love to be a part of,” she shared. 

Through APB, Perkins found a way to help out with campus events and bring students together. “Joining APB was the best decision. I made so many good friends in the club”. Her involvement with APB primarily includes assisting with the setup and execution of events. Among the upcoming APB activities is a cornhole tournament, offering a $500 prize!

Perkins’s dedication to staying involved on campus has contributed to her success as a student at Ship. “Staying involved just helps make good connections with other people, students, faculty and staff. Each of these groups are always there for each other, and always looking out for one another”, she said. “And that’s what made me enjoy it here.”. 

In addition to her involvement in APB, Perkins is also part of the President’s Watch Keepers team, an exclusive group that monitors campus issues, where she meets once a semester with other watch keepers to go over issues occurring on campus. 

Perkins had some words of wisdom to provide to other students at Ship. “Get yourself out there. Go to any event that campus holds. Follow the university on Instagram, Facebook, follow news articles…join any club that sounds interesting.” 

As she continues her education and involvement on campus, her passion toward becoming a teacher and inspiring others to stay active in the Ship community remains clear.