Joey Muolo, middle level education, gives back to the district where his love for teaching began.

Joey Muolo came to college with big plans to become an engineer. His goals were set, but a high school experience kept flickering in his mind. During his senior year, he participated in an educational practicum course where a passion for teaching was ignited.

“The experience of teaching was life changing,” says Muolo. “I loved my students so much and knew I could make a difference teaching math.”

Even with an incredible experience, Muolo tried to remain on his current path. He decided to work in the Office of New Student Orientation as an orientation leader the summer after his freshman year and began considering a career in student affairs. He enjoyed working multiple positions on campus, also working in offices such as University Housing, University 101 and Russell House, building relationships with incoming and current students.

“I had to really consider whether or not student affairs was the right career path,” says Muolo. “I wanted to understand whether I was making a big decision solely on my current experience. I realized that I wasn’t focused on what was there all along — my love of middle level education.”

Professor Toni Williams helped Muolo rediscover the momentum that began in high school. Going into his senior year at USC, he wanted to make his experiences count. He had the opportunity to return to Greenville County Schools and intern with Public Education Partners, closing the loop on a full-circle moment.

During his internship he assisted in developing assessment materials and resources for programs, including Parent Leadership Partners and the Greenville County Schools Future Teachers Academy Leadership Board. He facilitated Public Education Partners’ presence at community and district events.

Muolo was invited to share his experiences as an educator in a blog post. He highlighted his personal experiences with learning differences and how it motivated him to provide a variety of supports for his students learning math. His internship culminated in a presentation he shared at the Greenville County Schools iTeach Conference. These students were participating in the same class that sparked his passion for education.

“The director of the program was my teacher,” Muolo shares. “It was great to reconnect with her. She changed my life!”

Muolo’s session, “Hear it from a College Student: Life in College and How to Find Your Future Teacher Self,” focused on ways to use your time in high school and college to set yourself apart and craft a strong teacher candidate persona. He used a reversal process to share stories of educators in different scenarios, ultimately revealing that each scenario was part of his own self-discovery journey.

“This was especially meaningful for me because I was once a student in ED2400, part of the Future Teachers Academy curriculum, during my last semester of high school,” says Muolo. “To come back years later as a presenter, and now a senior at University of South Carolina hoping to return to Greenville County Schools as a teacher, felt like a full-circle moment.”

His presentation worked through building a teacher network and finding mentors, stepping outside your comfort zone, setting SMART goals and prioritizing self-care and developing resilience and reconnecting with your "why." Muolo was the only undergraduate student invited to present.

Muolo was initially struggling with how to share his story but was inspired by his class with new faculty member, professor Brooke Whitworth. Whitworth teaches science methods and encourages students to observe phenomena and work backwards to explain how science works.

“This method invites students into the learning process and encourages them to explore processes before memorizing facts,” says Muolo. “The feedback from my presentation was great.”

Over the course of his time at USC, Muolo has completed a journey of self-discovery that will benefit future generations of students in South Carolina. When he graduates in the spring, he hopes to return to Greenville County Schools as a middle school teacher.