Written By: Kenzie Gill
Karly Sweeney is a name many Salem Lions fans recognize as a member of the Lady Lions basketball team. Now, she has made a new name for herself as a student teacher at Bradie Shrum.
What sets her apart from other student teachers is that she also continued her college basketball career at Indiana University Southeast, so she juggled classes, student teaching and basketball all at once. Sweeney has been playing basketball since she was 3-years-old and has been playing 19 years. She said it has always been a dream to play in college.
¨I had a really great experience with basketball in college,” she said. “I had wonderful coaches and teammates throughout my career at Salem. I wanted to continue making memories through basketball.¨
While doing her student teaching with Amy Weaver at Bradie Shrum Elementary, she was also playing basketball.
“Karly did an amazing job during her student teaching,” said Weaver. “We all love her! She is a caring teacher who loves the students. She is hardworking and dedicated to do her best in ensuring that students learn what they need to learn. She was a joy to work with last semester!”
Sweeney had practices and games to attend, while still teaching and keeping up with school work. She had a very busy schedule, which she admitted was hard to manage at times.
¨It was definitely challenging to balance student teaching and basketball,” she said. “I had to prioritize my time to get all my school work done.¨
She also had to have good communication with her teacher, coaches and teammates. At times she would have to miss a half or a full day if she had a game during the week. Her teammates were super helpful in filling her in on what she missed at practice.
¨I had to prioritize my time to get all my school work done,” said Sweeney. “Communication was huge, as well. I made sure to communicate with my coach as well as my mentor teacher so they knew my schedule ahead of time.¨
When she had away games, she would have to miss a half or full day of school depending on where the game was being played.This would affect her student teaching because she would miss days. She would have to get everything she needed to get done before she left for the day.
This would sometimes be very difficult for her to do because she would have to get certain things done by a due date. With that being said, she had to manage time very well. Even with the challenges, she said playing basketball made it worth it.
Sweeney doesn't know exactly where she wants to teach but she knows she wants it to be close to Salem. She said it also depends on the jobs available at the time.