Jenny Farha said she doesn’t think anyone is supposed to be in college for 11 semesters, but that’s exactly how much time she spent doing co-op while at Wichita State, starting with her first semester of college.

“Co-op literally changed my life,” Farha said. “It showed me what I really wanted as a vocation and helped me get comfortable in front of the kids.”

Farha said she was terrified the first time she had a small group of kindergarteners by herself and couldn’t imagine going into student teaching with that same feeling.

“If you’re really serious about teaching, co-op should be a priority,” she said. “You can go to class at WSU and learn from books, but until you apply it, you’re not ready for the classroom with real students. That’s when the real learning takes place.”
Farha has a full-time job offer at Price Harris, and through her co-op experiences, already knows some teachers at the school.

“I’m just thrilled I’m a graduate, and it’s the greatest feeling in the world,” Farha said. “I’ve never felt so accomplished. I owe it to the co-op program.”