Zoe Rehders-Blasco

Zoe Rehders-Blasco is a first-generation English major from Elgin, IL

Hometown: Elgin, IL

High School: Larkin High School

Year: Expected graduation: Fall 2025

What did you want to be when you were growing up? Are you pursuing that as a major, or have you taken another path?
That question always scared me growing up, because I didn’t know what I wanted to be. It wasn’t until high school that I came to the broad conclusion of wanting to enter a field in which I could positively impact the lives of those I served. I initially thought medicine, then immigration law, and now I’ve finally found my place in high school English education. So, I’m not on the exact path I thought I’d be on, but I have set myself up to work in a field where I can help people.

What is your major (and/or minor) and why did you decide on this course of study?
I am majoring in English, on the teacher licensure track, and taking courses for endorsements in ESL/ELL and bilingual education in Spanish. My first experience with school was in a Spanish and English dual-language program. I didn’t realize it until I started studying multilingual methods, but being in dual language formed the way I process language. I have always loved language and linguistics, and this combination of content areas has worked well together and helped me better understand each area, as well as my own experiences and thought processes. I believe that having a personal connection to their course of study makes students more invested in their education and helps them do better and care more about what they’re learning. I have always taken that approach when deciding what classes to take or what major to choose, and having those moments where you see that you are knowledgeable about those topics adds excitement and motivation.

Have you conducted your own research through Research Rookies, Honors capstones or theses or any other faculty-guided research opportunity?
Yes

Tell us about the research you are doing and why it interests you.
In the fall 2024 semester, I had the opportunity to present at the Illinois Association of Teachers of English fall conference with a few peers on a panel organized by one of my English education professors. I applied information I learned in my multilingual methods courses to practices in teaching English language arts and provided some examples of how mainstream English teachers can support their culturally and linguistically diverse students through literature instruction.

How has conducting research strengthened your education and experience at NIU?
My interdisciplinary approach helped me build my knowledge of each content area, English language arts and ESL/bilingual education, and deepen my own understanding of what that kind of instruction might look like in my own classroom. I feel like those two areas have so much in common already in terms of literacy instruction; working through it myself, doing deeper research and presenting it to a room of active English teachers helped me bridge the gap of what I knew and where I still had questions.

How will your research experience help you in the future?
I think everyone doubts themselves a little regardless of their field. No one has all the answers. Digging deeper into content that is interesting or important helps us find our way out of corners or away from imposter syndrome. It helps me develop the skills of researching in my field, which will only help me become a better teacher.

Who at NIU has been important to your success doing research and why?
When thinking about who has been important in my success doing research, I think of my professor through most of the English teacher licensure program, Dr. E. Mariah Spencer. Dr. Spencer has helped form so much of my pedagogy, and she found my interdisciplinary research interesting and valuable to share with in-service English teachers. She also helped me find a focus when it felt like I had too many topics for the timeframe of my presentation.

What advice would you give to an incoming student as it relates to research at NIU?
As long as you’re studying something that interests you, the research will be easy. I don’t mean easy as in no work, it will take a lot of time and effort, but you’ll enjoy it. If you feel like you’re done, give yourself that break. It sounds obvious, and everyone says it, but balancing time for school and your life outside of school is crucial for success. If you work so hard that you start feeling burnt out, it will be harder to find motivation moving forward.

What has been something you have found pleasantly surprising about your experience at NIU?
Professors are real people. With all the college-themed media and high school teachers saying, “they won’t accept this in college,” it is made out to be this scary place where you’re almost certain to fail. All of my professors have been very understanding and as transparent with course policies as possible, and knowing their expectations and how forgiving they’re willing to be has been a pleasant surprise. I have noticed that most of my professors incorporate humor into their teaching styles — walking down the hall, I’ll hear a class start laughing — and it’s just really nice to see that NIU professors want to form positive relationships with their students.

How have you connected with other students to study for classes, meet new people or form new friendships?
Before the fall 2024 semester, a classmate of mine reached out to our program coordinator about starting a club: the English Teaching Licensure Club. Once the vision for the club was clear, that classmate reached out to the students in the program asking for feedback and officer requests. I joined as the secretary of the club, and we started working together once all the positions were filled, which has helped build community in the English teacher licensure program. People know each other between the different levels now, and we got to work with each other to practice teaching strategies or just have wellness days where we watched movies, played games and had snacks.

Are you involved in any student organizations, mentoring programs or extra-curricular activities? If so, which ones? How have they added to your experience as a Huskie?
I used to be the secretary of the English Teaching Licensure Club and a writer at the Writers’ Workshop, but I had to cut back on responsibilities since I’ll be student teaching this fall. I was never someone who did extracurricular activities in high school, and I was generally less social, but it was really fun to experience that lifestyle, and I got to connect with my peers outside of the classroom. I got to build what feels like lasting relationships with some classmates, and I know this also added to my development in becoming a good teacher.

What NIU offices, departments or resources have helped you feel safe, supported and successful? And how?
I have come to feel very comfortable in the English department office and the English department in general. Everyone has been so genuine, kind and supportive. All of the professors and administrative faculty want the students to succeed. They are very accommodating and responsive.

Who has been one of your favorite instructors/professors and why? What course did they teach?
One of my favorite classes was Dr. Timothy Crowley’s Shakespeare class. He made Shakespeare fun and exciting, and he was always enthusiastic about the material. He brought in old books to show how they were printed, and it was just a great experience.

How have you benefited by attending class regularly?
When I attend class regularly, I know what’s happening, and I can get answers to questions more quickly and with clarification if needed. If I know what’s happening in class, I can contribute to class conversation, and then I learn more. So, it’s not just being there that helps you succeed, but actually being present and processing the material, asking questions and talking with classmates.

Where is your favorite spot on campus or in the community? Why are you drawn to it?
I like the creek between Neptune and Cole Hall, especially by the bridges. Sometimes there’s a bird like a crane that sits by the water. I don’t know a lot about birds, so I was really surprised the first time I saw it. I also like to see the geese all around campus; I think they’re so funny.

What advice would you give to a student who is researching colleges to apply to?
There are a lot of factors to look into when picking a school. As a first-generation student, I know finances can be one of the bigger concerns. I would say to start out by looking around with an open mind at the different majors offered by a variety of schools — state, private, four-year, two-year — and see what you feel drawn to the most. Then, look into the financial assistance you can receive from the school and federally. There are a lot of scholarship opportunities, you just need to look in the right places. That might be department websites, the financial aid website or external organizations that support students in your chosen major. If you go in undecided, that’s fine. So many people change their majors even after they’ve declared one. Just try to do what you want to do and try not to give in to external influences on your future.

Why is a college education important to you?
A college education can open the door to more opportunities than just what you major in. It also builds skills, not just in your chosen area, but in work ethic, collaboration, communication and so much more. You interact with people of various backgrounds and learn things beyond the content in classroom. It helps you develop cultural awareness outside of your own culture.

What strategies do you use to manage your time between the responsibilities of school, work, friends and family?
I do something I call “pre-procrastinating.” I’m a procrastinator, and I can’t change that, but I can be conscious of the time in which I am intentionally doing something else to relax or shut off my brain before starting an assignment. Once I do start the assignment, I either do it in one sitting or chunk it up if it’s a larger project. This way, I don’t lose any trains of thought. This pre-procrastination also gives me time to spend with my friends and family.

I try to work during summer or winter break and save up for semester living expenses, but if I do have to work, I like flexible options like Uber or on-campus jobs. This way, I can still prioritize school and earn money when I need to and when I have the time/can set the time.

How do you stay informed about events and services that are available on campus?
I follow NIU and English department on Facebook, I follow a few NIU club/group accounts on Instagram, and I am in a couple of the NIU class groups on Snapchat. I don’t know how I’ve gotten into more than just one. I also have Outlook on my phone and keep my email notifications on to keep up to date about classes, department info, and campus events and services. I also search the NIU website for information or resources if I ever have any questions.

What do you do to relax or recharge?
I sleep and have been watching a lot of doctor shows over the past year. I recently got back into playing Guitar Hero, which might not be as good for relaxation, but it’s a great nostalgia game.

Please tell us about your job and hobbies.
I love to write narratively and have gotten into fiction writing. I submitted one to the fall 2025 Mike and Anne Malone Award for Short Fiction, and that made me want to keep developing my narrative style and hopefully start publishing some work outside of the university. I would love to publish literary work alongside teaching! I'm working on another short fiction piece I hope to submit to publishers soon