Alia Medina (Childhood Education Undergraduate Program)

Published in ConnectED Newsletter - Volume 5 - Issue 2 - June 2022

Alia Medina is an undergraduate student majoring in childhood education and psychology. She was born in the United States, like her Puerto Rican father, but her mother was born in El Salvador. Alia is one of CCNY’s Class of 2022 Great Grads.
    
Diversity is what attracted Alia to The City College. “When I first started touring colleges, it became apparent that my skin color did not reflect that of a typical college student. Each campus I went to only further solidified this thought, as the number of visible Hispanic and Black students became non-existent. When I first went to City College, I appreciated how the student body was reflective of the surrounding community. I did not feel out of place, and I was excited at the different cultures being represented.”

Alia began her formal studies in the School of Education in the Spring of 2020, when she was admitted to the school after passing the SEAT exam and the subsequent interview portion. She chose childhood education because she found that she works better with younger children after having had her first job as a K-1st grade afterschool teacher during her freshman year. “This deviated from my original plan of being a secondary social studies educator. I also chose psychology because it was more fascinating and challenging than my original history major. Being a psychology major has granted me almost all the opportunities I have had, so I am glad I changed my major.”

The diversity of the student body in each of the different education programs is what excites Alia about the School of Education. Reflecting upon her own experience as a public school student, she says that “the number of White teachers in this country is more than 50%, despite minority populations growing each year. As an elementary school student, I had only three female teachers of color in a school that was overwhelmingly Black and Hispanic, so there was no matching representation in the staff. It is exciting for me to know that all of the graduates at our school will be adding to the national diversity of teachers.”

In the fall, Alia will begin her graduate studies at Purdue University. She was accepted to a 5-year program leading to a master’s in special education and a doctorate in gifted education. Congratulations, Alia!