Even as an experienced high school AP physics teacher, Cindy found Professor Germano Iannacchione’s passion for physics and teaching was infectious. With patience and clear explanations, Cindy says her mentor made sure she understood the material. “He made me feel like a colleague even though he was my teacher,” she says.

A degree specifically for working educators was exactly what Cindy was seeking. The material, focused on education and on physics, helped deepen her understanding of the subject material and showed her new ways to present it to her students.

“I wanted to inject more labs in my curriculum so the projects I have pursued have allowed me to do that,” she says. She was also in classrooms full of others in a similar role and a level of commitment as high as her own, so the close proximity made it easy to network. “I joined the MPED program to gain a better knowledge of physics and I have met this goal,” she says. “In addition, I have met other teachers who can now support me.”

During her WPI experience, Cindy felt welcomed by faculty and staff. As a nontraditional student, that’s an essential component. “When I step on campus,” she says, “I feel that I belong.”