Story 55 - NHRI Class Teaching Assistants
If you’ve been following our 75 stories, you’ve heard lots about the very special NHRI Class. For this story, we want to shine a light on the NHRI Class Teaching Assistants (TAs). TAs are the secret sauce to the class. As current Program Director, Dr. Marianne Lorensen, puts it:
“The class can’t function without the TAs. There’s something about the small group structure that really adds value to the class.”
For decades, TAs have played a critical part in the success of the class by leading small groups of students. The small group structure unlocks opportunities for deeper relationship building, richer understanding of class concepts, and powerful peer-to-peer leadership.
2024 NHRI Class TA’s
“Being an NHRI TA meant that I could positively influence the next wave of leaders within the program. Likewise, I feel that it helped make the program more interconnected, creating connections across majors, graduating class, Greek affiliation, etc.”
Relationship Building
“Being a TA was one of those things that developed a feeling of responsibility - feeling responsible for somebody picking up on this information. How can I do that in the best possible way? How can I facilitate these people growing in a way that I feel I have grown.”
Peer-to-Peer Leadership
“Dr. Dodge wanted to involve kids who were outstanding in the class and in a more in-depth way. He wanted to give them a leadership opportunity. But mostly he knew that outstanding kids help outstanding kids.”
Understanding Class Concepts
NHRI Class TAs agree that the chance to be a TA is unlike any other.
“Serving as a TA for NHRI solidified my interest in teaching and leading through a focus on education and youth development.”
“My favorite thing I did the entire time I was at the University was being a TA because it aligned perfectly with what I believed. I had such a good time teaching. It’s the energy inside the room when you put together people who are like-minded.”
“My favorite memories as a TA were the outside of class activities, like Coat of Arms and Sticky Notes. These made a huge impact on our small group, and were some of the most memorable and enjoyable evenings of my college experience.”
“Being a TA for Ag Ed 101 allowed me to take the leadership concepts that I learned from Dr. Dodge in the class and put them into practice and action in a real life setting. There is no better learning environment than having to teach, discuss and apply the concepts with other students. Serving as a TA was a pivotal role for going on to be a high school teacher and eventually starting a Human Relations class at Fairbury High School where I would continue to teach these valuable concepts.”
“The NHRI Class was my favorite college class, and also the most useful in terms of future utility. It was regarded as an “easy A,” to some, but to me, it felt rigorous. I suppose it didn’t have to be as rigorous as I made it, but I would spend hours filling out my “reaction journal” - a Bluebook of answers/thoughts/ponderings on NHRI class concepts and relevant experiences. I saw the content as incredibly important and relevant. When I was a TA for the class, I loved reading students’ reaction journal entries. As I reflect on the experience, I may have learned even more as a TA than I did as a student.”
A special thank you to every NHRI alumni who committed to the role of NHRI Class TA. The ripple effect you have made has outlasted your time in the role.
Register today for the NHRI Alumni Class on Friday, November 8!
Meet your NHRI Alumni Class TAs!
Todd Lavigne, 1989
Todd Kelley, 1984
Keith Berns, 1988
Sue Bath, 1989
Melissa Hinrichs, 1999
Jack Ehrke, 2011
Seth Barnes, 2012
Kurt Siebert, 2014
Ethan Carlson, 2022
Bennett Perlinger, 2023
Bhagya Pushkaran, 2023
Lizzy Kenes, 2023
Ryan Kenney, 2024
Ty Lantz, 2024
Rachel Arens, 2025
Chase Kavanaugh, 2025
