Graduate Student Spotlight

Brie Tauber ’21

Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT)

Who has been influential in your Clarke journey?

Brad Kruse has been very influential in my Clarke journey, especially in the DPT program so far, because he has been a great professor, mentor, and respected individual whom to look up to in the PT profession. Brad teaches us students valuable educational information and shares interesting professional experiences which we can further learn from.

What do you hope to do with your Clarke DPT degree?

With my Clarke DPT degree, I hope to become a well-rounded Sports or Pediatric Physical Therapist. I also hope to give back to the educational system like all of the Clarke DPT faculty and staff have done and provided a great learning environment for us PT students.

What advice do you have for prospective Clarke graduate students looking to get their DPT degree?

My advice for prospective Clarke graduate students looking to get their DPT degree is to follow your passion and be confident in your academics and abilities; passion for your profession and confidence will take you far.

Amanda Veeder ‘19

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

Tell us about yourself. What brought you to Clarke’s Doctor of Nursing (DNP) program?

After graduating in 2007 from nursing school at UW-Madison, I worked in general medicine – geriatrics for a year and a half before starting in the Family Birth and Women’s Center at Monroe Clinic. During my employment in labor and delivery, I had more experience and became more excited about postpartum lactation and eventually completed a certification as an IBCLC in 2014. As a mother of three, I began my coursework in Clarke’s DNP program in the Fall of 2015 as a part time student. I enrolled as a full-time student during my final year at Clarke, and during February 2019, our family welcomed our fourth child. Looking back to the beginning of the journey, I chose Clarke because of its great reputation, Catholic identity, and because the curriculum began with both clinicals and graduate research in the first year. The chance to work with so many great providers over the last four years has really helped me to feel more confident and also to understand which types of positions I might enjoy the most.

Who has been influential in your Clarke journey (faculty or staff member, classmate, or family member)?

One special memory I have from my Clarke experience was during my admissions interview with Clarke Professor Ann Weltin. I remember being both nervous and uncertain about how to fit the pieces together to pursue this degree. Ann did a great job both answering the questions I had about the program and helping me to feel confident about the decision to begin school. Throughout my years in the program, Ann has continued to combine high expectations for me with the belief that I can meet them.

What do you hope to do with your Clarke DNP degree?

If I could work in any field, I would love to work in Pediatrics. During my clinical experiences, I really enjoyed working with children and parents. In addition, I would like to use my lactation experience and certification in the Nurse Practitioner role. Due to the many benefits of breastfeeding and the struggles which so many women face, I strongly believe that there is a great need for lactation care in order to help mothers and babies meet their breastfeeding goals and help lay the foundation for a healthy future.

What advice do you have for prospective Clarke graduate students?

Consider prioritizing your time to focus on the things that matter most to you. For me, this meant making time to complete my schoolwork and take care of – and have fun with – my family. I haven’t had as much time for social media or television—but I have made time for the people in my life. On a practical note, always make sure to have your “Clarke Stuff” – laptop, smartphone, books, backpack – set up so that you can study from wherever life takes you

Ken Kurt ’19M

Master of Arts in Education

Tell us about yourself. What brought you to Clarke’s MAE program?

My name is Ken Kurt and I am an instructional coach at Western Dubuque High School. I will be graduating with my master’s degree in May 2019. As a father of three small children, I was looking for a graduate program that provided me with flexibility so that I could be present with my family and complete my work at times that were convenient for me. I also wanted to make sure that the work was going to be applicable to my work as an instructional coach. Obviously, Clarke has a great reputation, so I knew that the work was going to help me grow as an educator.

How have you utilized what you’ve learned from the Clarke MAE program in your own classroom?

Every class that I have taken has provided me with actionable moves within my daily work. All of the work from the Action Research classes are rooted in the research that you are doing within your classroom so there was no separation from the things learned in those classes and what was happening within the classroom. My Brain-Based Learning class helped me work with teachers to create instructional plans that worked in concert with brain science. My classes helped me create numerous elements of professional development sessions, which are a part of my work as an instructional coach. I was awarded three grants that I completed within the grant writing course, so the overlap of my work in class and the impact on my work at school has been incredible.

Who has been influential in your Clarke journey (faculty or staff member, classmate, or family member)?

First, my wife has made this journey possible. She has picked up the lion’s share of many household duties too many times to count so that I could get my work done in a timely fashion. Classmate and fellow WDHS teacher Michele Bowles has helped me organize my thoughts within the confines of our building. All of my professors have been great, but a special shout of goes to Dr. Vosberg who guided me through the final stages of the Action Research process and helped make a challenging project into something that was really enjoyable.

What do you hope to do with your Clarke MAE degree?

On top of the work that I am already doing with the skills that I have gained in obtaining my Clarke MAE degree, I will continue to expand my work with curriculum to work towards a future position as a curriculum director.

What advice do you have for prospective Clarke graduate students?

My advice would be to jump in and get started on your Clarke MAE degree. The work for your classes will improve your effectiveness in your classroom. The courses and your work as a teacher work together, so that earning your degree does not become “another thing” on your plate. My Clarke MAE class work has made me a better teacher and a better instructional coach.