The double major in middle grades education and communication design combined her passions to co-lead a STEAM workshop at Smith Middle School in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, guiding students through creative lessons on typography and emotion.
When Alana Driver ’27 walked into Smith Middle School’s science lab on a recent rainy Friday morning, she saw more than beakers and periodic tables – she could envision her future.
The Elon University sophomore, a double major in middle grades education and communication design, co-taught a hands-on STEAM workshop alongside Assistant Professor Shannon Zenner in a Chapel Hill, North Carolina, classroom full of curious middle schoolers. The session, titled “The Weird Science of Typography and Shapes: Can You Feel a Font?” blended psychology, design and tactile experimentation to help students explore how typefaces can convey emotion.
In preparation for the workshop, Driver played an active role, helping identify videos and other instructional resources. Then, during the classroom visit, Driver and Zenner collaborated to walk students through activities that involved gummy bear taste tests, live polling with Mentimeter, and designing handmade “emotion fonts” with colorful craft supplies. The pair taught three 45-minute lessons, with Driver taking the reins during the last period.
“Eventually, I stepped aside and watched as Alana led the entire class with confidence and warmth,” Zenner said. “The middle school students were clearly engaged and connected easily with her. And I could tell how much she loved it and how natural she was in the role.”
For Driver, who comes from a family of educators, the experience reaffirmed her decision to pursue teaching — and to take an unconventional academic path.
“It was so rewarding to see the students’ creativity come to life,” said Driver, an Honors Fellow from Mooresville, North Carolina. “I felt completely at home teaching in that environment – seeing both of my majors working together.”
While Driver’s academic pursuits are unique, her passions are clear. She’s always known she wanted to teach. But she also harbors a creative side that gravitates toward visual storytelling, graphic design and social media. With some intentional planning, Driver was able to combine these interests into a one-of-a-kind academic experience – even if managing two distinct majors with no overlapping classes was a logistical hurdle.
“I chose to double major because I’m passionate about teaching in creative, engaging ways that help students connect with content on a deeper level,” she explained. “Design gives me the tools to communicate ideas visually and think outside the box – skills that are especially powerful in a middle school classroom.”
Zenner praised Driver’s initiative and presence in the classroom, noting that the sophomore “truly embodies what it means to be an engaged Elon student.”
“This is such a great example of how Elon students are already out in the world making an impact,” Zenner added.
Looking ahead, Driver hopes to teach science after graduation, applying her creative approach to a subject she sees as a gateway to discovery. She also plans to explore the intersection of education and design in her Honors research project.
“I love the energy and curiosity that students bring during middle school as they’re starting to ask big questions about the world, and science gives them a way to explore those questions hands-on,” she said. “It’s such a pivotal time for building confidence and sparking a lifelong love of learning, and I want to be the kind of teacher who supports and inspires them during that journey.”