Spotlight On: Christie Heuneman

Reading, writing, and history; perfect together. That's what history teacher Christie Heuneman has discovered as she gets set to receive her master's in literacy education in a couple of weeks. Heuneman is one of 135 students receiving their master’s degree during Centenary’s Commencement ceremonies on May 10.

You could say Centenary has really worked for Heuneman. After receiving her associate's degree from County College of Morris (CCM), Heuneman came to Centenary to complete her undergraduate education. And here she stayed to pursue a master's in literacy education.

Heuneman, who is currently a teacher at Warren County Technical School, has already applied her graduate-level skills to the classroom. She incorporates literacy education to decode history in her history classes. 

When asked about Centenary, she has a lot to say about her time here and the valuable skills she’s learned. 

Why did you choose Centenary?

I had looked into Centenary and wasn’t really sure if this was where I wanted to go. Then I called and talked to my current advisor about the degree (literacy education) I was looking into. That phone call fully convinced me that Centenary was where I wanted to go, and so I came here. 

What is literacy education? What is involved in literacy education?

Literacy education is everything that is involved when we access a text. This includes reading, writing, viewing, and listening. At Centenary, we learn about differentiation and ways to incorporate different types of text into teaching instruction. 

What has your time at Centenary been like? 

When I was an undergrad, I wished there were more history options, since that’s what I love. As a graduate, I’ve loved all my professors. Each professor has been fantastic at pointing out things in the text and showing how to apply them in my career. 

As a graduate, I had a course on Children's Literacy with Professor Colleen Starke. This class showed me the importance of using text sets in a classroom and providing reading choices for students. I also liked my classes with Dr. Lexis McCoy and Professor Leah Margosiak. Dr. McCoy showed us how to incorporate the guided reading passages we would read into our instruction. Professor Margosiak had us look at the state standards and break them down into nouns and verbs to really get a look at what was being asked of the students we were teaching. All of these classes had something that I have brought into my instruction today.

What has been one of your most memorable moments at Centenary?

The easy answer would be graduation. The not-so-easy answer is any class I’d had with Professor Aaron Bachstein, who taught a Civil War class. He is a fantastic teacher, and his enthusiasm for the topics he teaches shows. 

Why did you want a master’s in literacy education?

I always wanted a master’s degree, and eventually would love to have a doctorate. I picked literacy education, because it’s useful when looking through historical documents and analyzing them. As a history teacher and someone who loves history, what I’ve been taught is something I can use in daily life. 

Ideally, what do you want to do with your degree?

I’m happy with being a teacher and this degree helps me improve on how I teach. The different approaches to texts are really what I bring into teaching. Either using read alouds, text sets, or breaking vocabulary down into examples, non-examples, and a definition are all ways that I am using what I have learned in my classroom. All of these approaches to literacy allow students to get a better understanding of the information presented to them in class. I haven’t really thought of anything else because of that. 

What advice would you give new college students? 

Don’t procrastinate and, I know it’s cliche, but try the classes you might be interested in but aren’t sure of. Trying something new can lead to finding a passion in something. I personally disliked United States History, until I took a WWII history class here and then I was hooked. 

What’s been your favorite class at Centenary?

I don’t have one singular favorite, I have two: World War II and US Civil War. The professors were so passionate about their topics, and it made the classes even more fun. The professors would also pose questions that would really get you thinking about both sides of a conflict and have you come to your own conclusion based on facts. 

Are there any stories from your time in college that stand out to you?

A story that I always like to tell is a story from my astronomy class at County College of Morris. There was one day we went outside and saw Jupiter and stars through a telescope. It was also freezing outside, but the temperature barely mattered because of how much fun it was. 

As far as a story from my time at Centenary, I don't have many stories from my time as an undergrad. I was taking five to six classes a semester, working, and helping to raise my younger cousin, so all my time was pretty much taken up. 

Any final thoughts you’d like to share?

Make sure you look at what’s going on campus or sponsored by the school. Even if you think it’s not for you, try it. It can be fun, and you’ll do things you can’t do outside of college. Also, use the career center to work on resumes and find opportunities. And most importantly, get out of your shell whenever you can; it makes college all the more memorable.

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Heuneman may be leaving college behind, but she will always remember the skills she has learned and the classes she has finished. Her advice and experiences can help guide any student. In her words, “Get out of your shell and enjoy your time in college.”

Christie Heuneman is a teacher at Warren County Technical School and was Staff Writer Elizabeth May’s high school history and business teacher, who inspired her to attend Centenary University.