Makayla Harrigan: An Introduction to Me

Hello! I am Makayla Harrigan. I am 21 years old. I love to spend time in the kitchen, cooking and baking—and then sharing my creations with others. I also like photography and crafting and DIY projects. I was born and raised in the South Bay Area. I am the oldest of four kids, and I have one brother and two sisters. After graduating high school, I attended West Valley Community College. I enjoyed attending a community college first because it gave me the opportunity to explore some of my options without the stress of costs or time constraint. I did not always want to be a teacher, but my time at West Valley reassured me that this is what I want to do and who I want to be. I transferred to CSU Chico last year and this is the start of my fourth year of college. My goal is to earn a bachelor’s degree in Liberal Studies with a minor in Child Development, then continue to earn my teaching credential. Next I hope to move back home and teach grades K-2.

In my opinion, to be “a reader” is many things. I think of someone who spends a lot of time reading. They might read a variety of books. A reader is someone who goes beyond just “reading” a book, they pause and ask questions and look deeper. A reader might be inspired for what they have read to explore things within their own writing. I am someone that I never really thought of as much of a reader. I have always enjoyed reading, but it was never the first thing that came to my mind as an option for out of school activities. Reading was more of a “school activity” and can sometimes still be like this for me today. When reading out of school, I tend to pick books that allow me to relax and enjoy the book without putting too much thought into the details. However, as I go further in my education I find myself doing more of what I think of as “school reading.” Analyzing, making connections to other books and topics, and making notes of how it connect to other aspects of my life. The Williams article made me thing more deeply of what and who “a reader” is. Because nearly everyone can read and does in one form or another.