Slippery Rock University graduate and standout educator, Taylor Bronowicz, ‘19, turned her passion for math into an award-winning impact in the classroom. Bronowicz was named Teacher of the Year at Guntersville Middle School in Alabama.
Growing up, Bronowicz always wanted to be an educator.
“When I first came to Slippery Rock University, I was dead set on being a teacher,” said Bronowicz, who earned her degree in elementary education/early childhood. “It is something that I have always aspired to be for my entire life.”
A sixth-grade teacher at Guntersville, Bronowicz has such a large amount of love and respect for teaching that it can be felt from having just one conversation with her. Bronowicz expressed waves of gratitude and humility when discussing her recent award, always remembering to recognize her co-workers and their support.
“I was completely shocked; it was not something I anticipated, especially with it being my first-year teaching at this particular school,” she said. “To me, I think it showed that other teachers, the administration and other people in the school have noticed how hard I’ve been working to support the students.”
She acknowledges the challenge of making math engaging for middle school students, and that success requires a deep understanding of, and genuine commitment to, the young people she teaches.
“I want students to feel empowered and capable through their teachers, and I felt like I could be that person for them,” Bronowicz said.
Bronowicz, who is a National Board Certified Teacher in Early Adolescent Mathematics, earned her master’s degree from the University of Alabama and is working toward a second degree from Alabama in educational leadership.
As a student at SRU, Bronowicz was heavily involved with campus life and active in her sorority.
“I had tried out a few different things, and then I decided to go out for sorority recruitment,” Bronowicz said. “That ended up being where I felt the most at home. I was able to learn a lot from others and be pushed out of my comfort zone. I ended up joining Delta Zeta in the fall of 2015, and I had about six leadership positions within the sorority.”
Bronowicz credited her time in Delta Zeta as instrumental to her growth, providing consistent opportunities to learn, lead and strengthen her skills.
“Being involved in my sorority helped me become more confident in myself,” Bronowicz said. “I was terrified of public speaking, but it made me more comfortable talking in front of small and large groups of people. That’s especially helpful now as a classroom teacher.”
Bronowicz also had the invaluable opportunity to study abroad in Spain during her time at SRU, where she immersed herself in diverse cultures and gained exposure to a variety of backgrounds.
“We went to Barcelona and Valencia, and we worked with some students at the American School of Valencia,” Bronowicz said. “Before this, I had never been abroad, so it was a really good experience to learn about other cultures. That ended up preparing me a lot for teaching; I’d never really anticipated there to be a lot of English language learners in classrooms because I never saw that with the school districts I was working in around the Pittsburgh area. But now that I’m working in Alabama, I see a lot of it.”
For Bronowicz, SRU served as a foundation, providing unwavering support and guidance every step of the way.
“I went through the education program, and it helped me understand what I specifically wanted to do as a teacher,” Bronowicz said. “I felt comfortable, and my adviser was always willing to listen and guide me toward finding that understanding.”
Through attending SRU, Bronowicz discovered the type of person and educator that she wanted to be for others, despite the challenges. When asked for a piece of advice to give to students, Bronowicz pushed the importance of escaping the comfort zone and finding something that you can flourish in.
“Find something you enjoy, even if it pushes you out of your comfort zone,” she said. “That’s where you’re going to grow the most. Going through the experiences at SRU that pushed me out of my comfort zone is exactly what made me who I am today.”
More information about the elementary education/early childhood program at SRU can be found on the program’s webpage.
