Maize & Blue Scholar McDowell expanded horizons at UM-Flint

What excited Joseph McDowell the most about the Social Studies Teacher Certificate Program at the University of Michigan-Flint was its comprehensive nature. "You learn about various disciplines—like economics, history, comparative government, psychology and geography—so I knew that it would prepare me to teach several subjects at the high school level," said the Maize & Blue Scholar from Columbiaville, who will graduate on Dec 15. "I've always loved history and reading primary sources—personal accounts from the people who lived through historical events—because I think those stories bring history to life in the readers' minds."

One of McDowell's standout memories of his time at UM-Flint is related to those aforementioned primary sources. "The assumption is that primary source material is too difficult for middle or high school students to grasp," he said. "One of my professors, Karen Caldwell, has been genuinely formative in my development as a teacher because she showed me how to integrate primary sources into the curriculum effectively. I'm passionate about contextualizing historical facts and encouraging my students to connect with history in a uniquely personal way."

Caldwell was equal in her praise of McDowell. 

"Joseph is a dedicated scholar who values curiosity and critical thinking," said Caldwell, an assistant professor of education. "He is skilled in using primary sources and inquiry-based learning, and his students will love engaging in the social studies disciplines as much as he does. He will be an amazing teacher."

While McDowell expanded his teaching skills and practice during his studies, he developed his perspective through extracurricular activities. "I was lucky enough to be selected for the Wyatt Exploration Program trip to Ireland, which was phenomenal! There's nothing like being in a location where history you've learned about actually happened," he said. "We have some archaeological ruins here in the U.S., but we explored walls built in 1200 A.D. that modern Dublin has built around, which was incredibly cool. Also, expanding my knowledge of Irish history and the resistance against English rule and how that connects to U.S. history was very valuable."="

Closer to home, McDowell credits UM-Flint's diversity of students with helping him develop his ability to connect with different groups of people. "The students in my cohort, as well as other students around campus, welcomed me. I'm not naturally gregarious like that, but it's important to me, as a teacher, to connect with kids of all backgrounds. That welcoming has really helped bring out my personality," he said.

"UM-Flint's faculty are committed to your success—they will show up for you if you're willing to put the work in to succeed. And there are so many incredible resources available, too. I wish I had known about the Writing Center earlier in my journey because I would have used it more," McDowell said. "Like anything in life, you'll get out of your education what you put into it. I tried to take advantage of every opportunity to represent the college in the best light possible, so it's a real honor to be named a Maize & Blue Scholar."