College of Education Student of the Month

This award recognizes students who are knowledgeable, ethical, caring and good decision makers as demonstrated through leadership abilities, academic success, and a commitment to promoting the education through their involvement in the College of Education, the University, and/or the community.

Brooke Lindell
May 2012

“What you put into something is what you get out of it” is Brooke Lindell’s guiding belief in her pursuit of a degree and teaching license in Secondary Education/Social Studies. She considers caring about students to be one of the most important characteristics for a teacher to have. Brooke believes to be caring, a teacher must get to know her students and have their best interests in mind in school and outside of school. Knowing the cultural backgrounds of her students is important for her to promote, enhance, and appreciate the diversity present in her classroom. By knowing her students, Brooke will be able to identify, know and understand their passions, strengths, and fears.

Brooke feels that caring for her students and valuing their opinions will also foster a safe learning environment for students to be creative and become critical thinkers. She says, “If I can provide that safe environment for students, I can also be their advocate for times when life gets tough or when they need that extra support or encouragement.”

For Brooke, deciding to become a teacher was a gradual process of coming to the realization that this is the right career for her. Brooke stated, “When I first thought about teaching, I fought the idea because of the low pay, lack of job opportunities, and the idea of working with challenging students. However, I kept coming back to the idea. I might not become a millionaire, but if I want to be happy in life, I should do something that will be a joy to me so it feels like I am not working a day in my life. Teaching is a career that makes a direct impact on people, and I want to be that individual in a young person’s life. I want to help young people become the best they can be. I want to encourage them to pursue their passions and reach their full potential in life.” Her efforts to be the best teacher possible was noticed by Dru Clarke who commented, “Brooke was tenacious is honing her skills as a teacher. What I appreciated most was her desire to use whatever resources were available to her—people, written resources, feedback—to create original, engaging, and workable plans that she implemented with skill and a commitment to excellence.”

Working for and with the College of Education and the University has been a big priority for Brooke. She was a College of Education Ambassador, a member of the Education Symposium Committee, a caller and coach for the K-State Telefund, a member of Kappa Delta Pi and KNEA-SP; she was active in her Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority, serving as a leader and participant in events; she was a Mortar Board Senior Honorary member; she served as a Director of Recruitment for the Panhellenic Association; she was a Greek Ambassador; she was a K-State singer; and she served as a Wildcat Warm-Up counselor for incoming freshmen at K-State.

Education Council is pleased to recognize Brooke Lindell as a valuable part of the College of Education and the teaching profession.