Maggie Burks, academic adviser for the Center for Educator Preparation at Colorado State University, has a passion for empowering students to become teachers. Learn more about Burks’s role in the School of Education and how she makes an impact on students.
1. Tell us a bit about yourself!
My name is Maggie (she/they) and I’m the academic success coordinator for the Center for Educator Preparation in the School of Education. I grew up in Grapevine, Texas and moved to Portland, Oregon for college. I fell in love with the Pacific Northwest and lived there for a few years after earning my undergraduate degree while working for College Possible as an adviser for low-income students during the college admission process. In 2021, I moved to Fort Collins to pursue my M.S. in Student Affairs in Higher Education and graduated in 2023. I love making playlists, going on nature walks, playing board games, and cuddling with my cat, Elaine.
2. What brought you to the School of Education?
Growing up, I always loved education, but didn’t see myself as a teacher. I loved working one-on-one with students and this is what led me to pursuing a degree in Student Affairs in Higher Education. In my graduate school experience, I worked at the Student Resolution Center, collaborated with the Pride Resource Center, and worked with the Exploratory Studies advising office. When I saw the job posting for the School of Education, it felt like a beautiful blend of my experiences, passions, values, and goals!
3. Tell us about your role in the School of Education. What do you do?
I am the adviser for the teacher preparation programs at CSU, so I support students in declaring the teaching concentration and working with them towards teacher licensure. I handle a lot of behind the scenes planning for the department, work with prospective and current students one-on-one about what it requires to become a teacher, and also support student recruitment, retention, success, and belonging within the program.
4. What are your professional interests, and how did you find those passions?
I am passionate about finding ways to humanize the higher education experience. I like to help students find and cultivate their community at CSU, and know they have people they can contact for support. I like to bridge the student experience with thinking about what can change from a programmatic and systems point of view to center equity and justice, remove barriers, and help students reach their goals.
5. What is your philosophy for working with students?
I wholeheartedly believe that students are experts in their own lives. This means honoring students’ lived experiences and how that is shaped by their own identities, backgrounds, and contexts. I like to lead with curiosity and take time to understand someone in their full context. My goal is that students feel empowered and respected throughout their college experience and beyond.
6. What’s your favorite thing about CSU and/or the campus?
I went to a college that had about 2,000 undergraduate students, so coming to CSU initially felt overwhelmingly large. Now that I have been around for a couple of years, I love seeing a friendly face around campus and finding ways to make CSU feel like a smaller community. I also LOVE going to music, theater, and dance performances at the UCA! I try to go to at least a few shows every semester, the students here are so talented!
7. You work with future educators and teachers. Why should someone want to be a teacher?
Teaching is such a cool profession because teachers get to impact students and families, spark curiosity and critical thinking, and be creative in delivering the content material. Good teachers are fundamentally important to a functioning society as they are part of the bridge between the past, present, and future. As someone who cares deeply about education and decided not to pursue teaching, I think it’s important that people feel like the profession is a good fit for them. The teacher licensure program at CSU gives students a lot of hands- on experience to help discern if this path is right for them!
The School of Education is part of CSU’s College of Health and Human Sciences.
