The Herald set out to find the typical WKU student. Meet freshman Hannah Scheidegger.

When Bowling Green freshman Hannah Scheidegger enrolled at WKU, she didn’t know that she fit the image of the most common student on the Hill.

White female freshmen from Warren County majoring in elementary education are the most common students on WKU’s campus, according to the 2010 Fact Book. 

Scheidegger chose WKU because of the teaching department. She has been set on a teaching career since she was a little girl.

“Since I am from Bowling Green I wanted to stay closer to home, and so far I have been very happy with my decision,” she said.

Scheidegger said she didn’t apply to other schools. 

“I thought I wanted to go to UK for a long time, but during my junior year I decided I wanted to go somewhere a little smaller and closer to home.” she said. “And Western fit both of those.”

She plans on staying in Bowling Green for the rest of her life, she said. Networking with teachers she knows around the area will benefit her career.

“I don’t know if it’s that I grew up here in this town, because I know a lot of people who hate this town,” she said. “I think you can make Western as far away or as close to home as you want it to be.”

She thinks its popularity among females stems from women not venturing into other realms of academics. 

A lot of women use teaching as a “fall back” major if they like kids and can’t decide what else they want to do, she said. But she isn’t interested in a “fall back” career.

“In order to be a good teacher you have to really love teaching,” Scheidegger said.

Sam Evans, dean of the College of Education and Behavioral Sciences, said WKU’s roots go back to a teacher’s college. He said it’s not surprising elementary education is one of the more popular majors at WKU.

“If you go back historically, education attracted females, and that just hasn’t changed,” he said.

Evans said teaching was ideal for many females so they could be with their families in the summer.

Scheidegger comes from a family of teachers, including her grandmother, who influenced her career decision, she said. Her grandmother’s stories about shaping kids into smarter individuals inspired her to teach.

“My grandma has been a very big part of my life,” she said. “Her job was important and she loved it.”

Ethel Watrous, Scheidegger’s grandmother, earned her master’s degree in elementary education at WKU. She never set out to influence her granddaughter’s career decision, but she always talked about the love she had for her students.

“I think Hannah really has the temperament for teaching,” Watrous said. “To be a teacher today you really have to have the stamina.”

Scheidegger’s aunt and uncle also have teaching histories, Watrous said.

Scheidegger works with special education students in surrounding elementary schools, including McNeill Elementary School, she said.

“I love the kids – they are hilarious,” she said. “Whether it’s elementary or special education, you never know what’s going to happen during the day.”

Watrous said there aren’t a lot of people who like to be around children with disabilities.

No matter what Scheidegger teaches, she wants to work with little kids, she said.

“I saw how, throughout the year, the kids progressed,” she said of her volunteer teaching experience. “You can really make a difference in their lives.”