Megan Sangren ’18, Blaine, Minn.
Major/Minor: Elementary Education; Spanish

In her final semester of college, Sangren is involved in all things education, including gearing up for a second trip to Tanzania this summer to teach students there.

When she first came to Concordia, Sangren says that having the opportunity to teach Spanish in an after school class at local elementary schools is what made her decide to become an education major.

“Becoming an education major has been one of the best choices I have ever made,” she said. “The department is filled with loving and intentional students and faculty who all love kids and want to make our world a better place.”

Sangren says she has had many opportunities at Concordia. On top of her education classes, she serves as president of the Education Club, volunteers at local schools, and works in the Admission Office.

Megan Sangren in class

Concordia’s education program also led her to volunteer and teach abroad. After hearing about an opportunity to teach at an English Language Village in Tanzania from a friend at Concordia, Sangren says she knew she had to participate.

“I emailed the professor and really tried to convince her that I would be a good fit for the program,” Sangren said. “This isn’t usually something I would do, but I just felt really called to the opportunity.”

The summer before her senior year, Sangren took the trip to Tanzania. She says the purpose of the Singita Grumeti Language Village is to help secondary school-age students learn English through an immersion experience. This keeps them from dropping out of school.

Megan Sangren teaching

“Our program wasn’t run like school but more like a day camp,” Sangren said. “We played games with our students, sang songs, did crafts, and made the day fun for our students.”

During the course of her four weeks abroad, Sangren is confident that she learned a lot. Not only did she get experience as an educator, but she also gained knowledge about herself and other cultures. Being in a new country, immersing oneself in a new language and culture can be intimidating. But Sangren took this in stride. She said it helped that the Tanzanian people were kind and patient, especially in regard to the language barrier.

“I learned that languages really do not need to divide us,” she said. “We are all humans who want to be loved, valued and to learn. I learned the power of hospitality.”

Megan teaching in Tanzania

Sangren also said that she enjoyed being able to practice flexible teaching, specifically mentioning a joyful memory of not finishing a lesson so they could watch a herd of elephants.

“I'm so glad that I reached outside of my comfort zone because being a part of the Tanzania team has been one of my highlights of my Concordia experience,” she said.

As she graduates this spring, Sangren looks forward to going back to Tanzania in June to teach again. Upon her return, she hopes to find a teaching job for this fall.

“I cannot say enough good things about the education department. We are so blessed to have such an incredible department on campus,” she said. “The faculty love their students and will do almost anything to help students succeed and become incredible teachers.”

Published April 2018