Kristin Butler '23
Family and consumer sciences education
Long Island, New York
Growing up in Long Island, Kristin Butler says she learned to love baking, sewing and tending to her baby cousins.
“Family and consumer sciences perfectly combines so many facets of what I love to do. Naturally, whenever I began diving deeper into the content of foods and nutrition; fashion and textiles; budget and finance; and human development, I was enthralled! I grew very passionate about the subject and have been eager to learn more ever since,” she said.
As she began her college search, she says she was impressed with Messiah’s family and consumer sciences major.
“They are one of only two schools in Pennsylvania that offer FCS as a major. Beyond that, I was struck by the intentionality of the department through their handwritten notes and genuine care for me,” she said.
She also pursued a minor in web development, which was outside her comfort zone.
“It was challenging to switch from my creative human development and family sciences brain to a very analytical computer science brain. It pushed me to grow in so many ways and I am proud of what I have been able to accomplish through it,” she said.
As a student, she taught a full range of grade levels, which gave her a sense of which age she would be best suited to teach.
“Through my child development courses, I taught at a local preschool. As part of my senior seminar internship, I was able to teach elementary-aged refugee students. My senior year, I student taught at East Pennsboro Area Middle School, and as part of my Junior Field Experience, I had the opportunity to teach high-school level FCS courses at Central Dauphin Senior High School,” she said.
Butler also put in motion a project that she hopes benefits future Messiah students.
“While working as a faculty assistant for our department chair, Dr. Hamon, I was able to create ‘alumni roundtable’ events where alumni from the department come back and share what they are up to within their careers with the current students at Messiah,” she said. “I can envision myself coming back for one of these events to share my advice with Messiah students.”
In the fall, she started as a family and consumer sciences teacher at Cedar Crest High School in Lebanon, Pennsylvania.
“I am excited to put this degree to work and to finally take all of the information and care that was poured into me and, in return, pour it out into my own classroom,” she said.
— Anna Seip