Story: Lisa Sollie | Photo: Cody Ingram
Dr. Ali Lacina鈥檚 move from the Midwest to the Deep South when she joined the baby直播 faculty wasn鈥檛 the only major change for her. The move marked a shift from 25 years teaching K-8 students to shaping the next generation of educators at the college level.
Lacina has been passionate about teaching since she was in second grade. 鈥淢y parents tell a story from my kindergarten year when a teacher informed them at the parent/teacher conference that I wanted to be the teacher and run the classroom,鈥� she recalls, laughing. 鈥淓ven then, I was meant to be a teacher鈥擨 just didn鈥檛 realize it yet.鈥�
Born and raised in Elgin, Illinois, Lacina is a fifth-generation native. Although she had lived in Iowa for the past several years, leaving her family behind was still difficult. Yet, she felt a strong pull toward UWA.
鈥淚 had a great school year teaching鈥攐ne of the best ever鈥攂ut I was searching for more,鈥� she says. 鈥淎fter watching an interview with Dr. Jan Miller on a local TV station, most of what she said really resonated with me.鈥� Then a series of events, from her priest giving a homily, 鈥榃hat are you waiting for? Cast out into the darkness; you never know what鈥檚 going to happen鈥� to seeing a job posting at UWA a few days later, 鈥渋t was in that moment I felt urged to act, so I applied.鈥�
Now in her first year teaching at the college level, Lacina is excited to inspire future educators with the same passion that drove her all those years.
“Effective teaching isn’t just about book knowledge. It’s about passion, growth, and learning from your students as much as they learn from you.”
Dr. Ali Lacina
Lacina wants her students to graduate confident and prepared. 鈥淔irst-year teachers can鈥檛 know what veteran educators learn over decades, but I share my experience and constantly introduce new strategies鈥攆ive or six tools each class鈥攖hat they can use in their own classrooms.鈥�
Switching from K-8 to college classrooms has been mostly seamless. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e still students; I鈥檓 just training them now. Thank goodness they鈥檙e eager, attentive, and even tolerate the dumb jokes I make,鈥� Lacina chuckles. 鈥淭he biggest challenge is navigating new technology鈥攂ut I鈥檓 confident it will come together soon.鈥�
Lacina, the oldest of three sisters, all educators鈥攃omes from a large extended family. Yet she鈥檚 embraced her new home, enjoying southern hospitality and the close-knit feel of UWA. 鈥淗ere,鈥� she says, 鈥渟trangers stop to chat, and the faculty and staff genuinely invest in their students, not just as numbers, but as people鈥攁nd it shows.鈥�
Currently, Lacina teaches junior education majors science and social studies methods through literacy, plus an integrated arts methods class to seniors. 鈥淢y job is to show them how to teach social studies effectively, manage hands-on science lessons, and weave arts like dance and music into every subject,鈥� she explains. 鈥淵oung children need movement, and incorporating the arts lets them learn while being active. That鈥檚 what excites me most!鈥�