Always a Warrior
His career in education is coming full circle for Eddie Schweikert.
A senior Secondary Education major from Omaha, Nebraska, Eddie is spending this semester student teaching Social Studies at Westside High School. He is very familiar not only with his surroundings but the teacher he is working with at his alma mater.
“I am a student teacher for Mr. (Nathan) Bramley, who was one of my teachers my junior year at Westside. It was always my plan to go back to Westside, so if I had been told four years ago I’d be coming back to teach with Mr. Bramley, I guess I wouldn’t have been that surprised, but it’s pretty crazy all the things that have happened these past four years.”
Four years ago, Eddie was like many other high school students, trying to find a college that was the right fit for him. Turns out, it only took one visit for Eddie to find his new home.
“It was my junior year of high school, and I took my one, and what would be my only college visit to Midland. I remember it being a very cold February day, but I fell in love with the campus. After talking with faculty, I knew this was a place where I would be supported. My high school counselor kept telling me I should take visits to more colleges, but I never did. That day I left Midland, I knew it was where I wanted to be.”
Over the past four years, Eddie has not only honed his teaching skills, but picked up many new interests along the way, including some he wasn’t expecting. “When I submitted my application to Midland, I checked a box that I was interested in speech and debate. I had always been interested in speech and debate in high school but never had the time. When I received my acceptance letter, it indicated I was receiving a speech and debate scholarship. I always joke with people that it was the greatest box I ever checked because my time on the speech and debate team has really helped define my Midland experience. I have enjoyed getting to know all the members of our team, even with the faces changing over four years, and I like the traveling we get to do.”
Eddie also found another passion through his work study position in the Academic Resource Center. “Through the (Howard Hanson) honors program, Dr. Dustin Gann (Associate Professor of History) encouraged me to do research on various communities, including Fremont. Prior to that, I didn’t even realize Midland had an archives system, and it’s been great working through that and learning all about Midland’s history. I think being able to work with the archives has been another defining moment for me at Midland.”
His love for history stems back to his childhood and repeated visits to the nation’s capital. “I have two older half-siblings who lived near Washington D.C., so we would take several trips there and see all the sights. I’ve always considered myself a history buff. Most kids like dinosaurs and trains when they are little, and I did too, but I also liked learning about U.S. presidents.”
Despite his love for history, Eddie may have never veered down the teaching path were it not for an essay contest he entered in middle school. “At the time, I was really planning on being an engineer. I wrote an essay for a contest and got first place, so then I began to think about a career where I could still find time to write. I thought about becoming an English teacher but eventually decided I would be better at explaining history than English.”
Eddie isn’t big on change, and he jokes that he’s been able to remain a Warrior (Westside’s mascot as well) through his high school, college, and now-student teaching days. “I really enjoy Westside and find it a unique atmosphere. Like Midland, Westside is very focused on each student as a well-rounded individual. I would like to end up there as a teacher, but I’m not closing the door on other options.”
He is appreciative of Midland helping mold him into the person he is today and the educator he will be in the future. “Midland has been a great experience for me and has me well-prepared for what lies ahead. I’ve made friends here and have built relationships with faculty that I will carry with me long after I graduate.”
Eddie Schweikert is a senior Secondary Education major from Omaha, Nebraska.
