Unearthing Reflections:

How is your heart?

I feel like my heart is good. There is always more opportunity for having a more peaceful heart.

Who are you? When did you know you wanted to be a teacher and learner?
My name is Mattie Lehman, I am a sophomore at NC State who hopes to one day be a teacher.
As a kid, I grew up in the classroom considering both of my parents were teachers. I was always
eager to draw on the white board and act like I was teaching my own class. As I was picking a
career choice I wanted to focus on something that would make the world a better place. So, I
decided teaching was the right fit for me; I get to teach others and make an impact while i'm
doing it.

Growing up, who shaped your beliefs, values, and thoughts about humanity and those in
the world who are often marginalized?
Growing up, a large part of my beliefs root from my experience as a follower of Christ. I grew up
in a faith focused family and have carried many of those beliefs and values today. As a
child/teenager I lived in a small town in western North Carolina where diversity was scarce.
Thus, I had not been around many other ethnicities and people with other beliefs, yet coming to
NC State was very beneficial for me in that aspect because of the vast diversity here. I have
learned so much in the past two years about other people than I had growing up in a small town.

What legacy or imprint do you desire to leave as an educator? How are you working
toward it?
As an educator, I simply want one of my former students to look back and think of me when they
think of someone who has influenced them in some positive way, even if it is slight.