Hannah Sturgill
About Hannah
- Graduate Program: M.Ed. in Special Education and Child Development; Graduate Certificate in Autism Spectrum Disorder
- Concentration/Area of Emphasis: Autism Spectrum Disorder Specialty Track
- Current Employer: Cotton Academy, San Antonio Independent School District
- Position: 3-5 ALE Teacher
- Graduation Year: 2025
- Undergraduate Institution: Campbell University
- Undergraduate Degree: B.S. in Special Education
- Favorite Place in Charlotte: Uptown
- Hometown: Waldorf, Maryland
Q&A with Hannah
Why did you choose to attend UNC Charlotte for graduate school?
I chose to apply for the graduate program after looking at the program page on UNC Charlotte’s website.
My initial impression was that the program was thorough and would suit my needs, aligning with my
long-term career goals. As I went through the application process, the support I received from faculty and staff is what ultimately led me to attend UNC Charlotte. Any questions, concerns, or hesitations I had were addressed in a detailed and timely manner. There was never any point left unclear or any question left unanswered. Although I would study online, I felt confident that, having received so much support before I even began, I would receive a level of support in the program that allowed me to be successful.
Are there any faculty, staff or support services that positively impacted your experience at Charlotte?
There are three people that I would like to acknowledge for positively impacting my experience at UNC
Charlotte. First, Dr. Ya-yu Lo. Dr. Lo is perhaps the most attentive advisor a student could have. On several occasions, without having requested a review, I received emails from Dr. Lo as she viewed my progress in the program and revised my course planning sheet. Her attentiveness, organization, and knowledge of courses offered made it possible for me to have the most efficient route through the program. Second, Dr. Charles Wood. Dr. Wood is an incredible professor and person both. I greatly enjoyed his class and was happy to see, semesters later, that he had been assigned as my research advisor. I appreciate all the times that Dr. Wood simultaneously challenged and supported me throughout my studies. Third, Dominic Palumbo. In addition to attending UNC Charlotte as a graduate student, I worked with the UNC Charlotte Athletic Department, and Dom was a highlight of that time. I thank him for every crazy game day moment and every laugh.
What did you enjoy most about UNC Charlotte’s campus and location?
I loved that the campus was connected to other parts of the city through Charlotte’s light rail system.
What advice would you give to prospective and current UNC Charlotte graduate students?
Take your time and you will make it, UNC Charlotte wants you to succeed. I went through a number of
changing plans during my time in my graduate programs – adding an additional course sequence, hanging the order of my courses, changing my research topic the semester my research was meant to begin, seeing my estimated date of completion change to a later date. Each and every time my plans changed, there was somebody there to help. I never struggled, or felt I had to solve these items on my own. Everyone is on your team – through everything. You will do it, they will make sure.