Amiel Holliday, 20, was one of nine students inducted into a selective education program at Rowan University
When Burlington Township resident Amiel Holliday enrolled in Rowan College at Burlington County in 2015, he wasn’t entirely sure what he wanted to do. Now, after earning his associate’s degree with honors last May, his efforts over the last two years have taken him further than he imagined.
Increasing Male Practitioners and Classroom Teachers, which aims to diversify education, chose Holliday as one of the nine inductees to receive the benefits and support of the selective program. IMPACT was instituted last year by Rowan’s College of Education.
“It’s a big honor to be taken in for consideration as somebody who can impact the future of education. It means a lot, and I thank the people who have taken me in, Dean Shealey and Dean Jones, who saw the potential in me and just want to see me do great things,” Holliday said of his mentors at Rowan.
Holliday started his junior year at Rowan this fall, where he was met with challenges he knows will help him succeed in his goal to teach history. His passion for learning about different cultures and people lead him to want to inspire younger generations to get excited about his favorite subject, too.
“It’s a lot of hard work. Nothing is easy, and I’m building my time management. Back at Burlington County College, it was a lot easier to manage your time.” Holliday said of his transition to Rowan University. “Luckily, all my professors are really great and helpful.”
Over the course of his participation in IMPACT, which supports education students through mentorship, professional development and experiential learning opportunities, he will earn a bachelor’s degree in history and go on to obtain a master’s degree in education. But IMPACT, Holliday said, will remain a system of support in his career long after he graduates.
“Project IMPACT is not just a COE program. It is a Rowan University program,” Monika Shealey, a dean at Rowan University, said in a press release. “Rowan University is doing something about a national problem — solving it locally.”
Holliday said he feels blessed to be in a position he knows so many others would love to be in, and plans to contribute as much as he can to IMPACT throughout his life.
“IMPACT has provided so many networking opportunities. A lot of the mentors and people leading the program connect me with teachers, principals and leaders at public schools. They are always telling us how excited they are for us to graduate and apply at their schools,” Holliday said. “It’s always good to have that connection no matter where you are in your career.”
