Founded by a group of sophomore education majors, the education club has made its mark on Iona University. Even though the education club launched this month, it has been around a couple of times in the past. However, it has not been active since the pandemic began.  

The club’s president is sophomore Megan Nolan, who is an adolescent education major with a concentration in English. The E-Board consists of six other education majors: Vice President Christopher Carnevale, Secretary Danielle Sammon, Treasurer Courtney Corbett, Events Coordinator Sabrina Rocco, Social Media Chair Peter Kirchgaesser and Executive Assistant Debora Diaz.  

The club has received a great amount of support from students and faculty alike. The tremendous leadership of the E-Board and faculty advisor, Br. Gunn have laid the groundwork for an amazing year. As Br. Gunn says, “This club has the potential to and will be the biggest club on campus.” 

The club’s main goals are to create a community within the department, foster the members’ passion for education and work with the local New Rochelle community, whether that be students in the community or the New Rochelle Boys and Girls Club.  

JA: I heard a lot about the creation of the club, particularly about the floppy disk. Can you elaborate more about the formation of the club? 

MN: The club started after I went to the involvement fair to get involved (obviously) and I felt like something was missing. None of the groups really appealed to me and seeing all these different major-specific groups but nothing for the major I am so passionate about. I was soon put in contact with Katie Geslak from SGA and was informed I would have to make a constitution for the club. While the club had run in past years, the most recent constitution was on a DVD from over 10 years earlier. I had never been on the E-Board for a club before so making up the constitution was something entirely foreign to me, but the outdated one had actually proven to be very helpful. 

JA: What are common reasons among club members to pursue education as a career path? 

MN: The members of the club have chosen this major for a variety of reasons. For some, they are in love with the subject matter and want to share that passion. For others, it’s a passion for working with children. And for others, including myself, it’s a passion for teaching. I’ve wanted to be a teacher for as long as I can remember. Anytime I teach someone something whether it’s tutoring a friend or showing my mom how to use the Fire Stick, I get this amazing feeling in my chest that I’m doing what I’m supposed to be doing and that this is the path I’m meant to follow. That’s one of the most amazing parts of the club: getting to meet people who feel that same passion as me. 

JA: What are some reasons non-education majors would join the club?  

MN: While the club may seem to only have implications for students within the major, there is a greater outreach. The club is open to all students, and we actually have many members who aren’t education majors. The club is for anyone who has a passion for working with children, community service, or anyone who would just like to talk about their experiences in school and their beliefs in the education system. 

JA: How can the Education Club help the local New Rochelle community? 

MN: As for the local New Rochelle community, we’re looking into working with the Boys and Girls Club of New Rochelle through fundraising for them and potentially hosting a field day at the end of the spring semester on Mazella Field for them. That event isn’t finalized yet but it is one of the club’s main goals and we’re looking to get student athletes involved. We are also looking to do toy drives, book drives and fundraising for other local schools. A lot of ideas are in the works since we are still a new club, but once they are finalized, we will be sure to spread the word to get as many people involved as possible! 

So far, the Education Club has held two successful events since their first meeting. The first was a Cookie Monster themed bake sale on the steps of the Spellman Portico. The second was hosting Campus Ministry’s weekly hospitality dinner. Their theme was elementary school where food was served to take you back to your childhood such as pizza bagels, mac & cheese, dinosaur nuggets and Yoo-Hoo drinks.   

The Education Club has exciting plans for the rest of the semester that includes a classroom decorating event, a movie night and a volleyball tournament to fundraise for children in the community.  

The club meets every other Monday in the Endzone during activity hour. If you’re interested in joining, you can reach out to the club president Megan Nolan or follow their Instagram @iu_educlub where they post about all events and meetings beforehand. Make sure to stop by if you have a passion for education, are interested in the major or just want to talk about your personal experiences.