Jake Henson
M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction, 2017
Before starting my master’s degree in Learning Technologies, I worked as a lawn crew worker, farm hand, lifeguard, store assistant manager, substitute teacher, and a variety of freelance film and television positions as a grip, camera assistant, and production assistant. Immediately preceding grad school, I spent three years as a teacher building a high school audio/visual production program. While working as an A/V teacher, I thoroughly enjoyed spending time researching equipment, teaching with the equipment, and figuring out how to afford it, and I relished the challenge of creating a web of lesson plans, little-by-little building tracks for students to progress through a four-year program. When I began thinking about furthering my education, I wanted to focus on curriculum and technology, and those interests lead to UT’s Learning Technology program.
Why UT?
I picked UT for a variety of reasons. The learning technology program was well rounded and robust with connections to real world experiences and opportunities to learn technical skills. The program joined together my interests in technology and curriculum. Additionally, the College of Education and the Curriculum and Instruction program were ranked among the Top 10 Universities and Programs in the Nation. Austin is a great place to call home, and I figured Austin’s tech culture would provide a variety of opportunities to use a learning technology degree post-graduation. Also, if I’m being candid, I’d already fallen in love with UT and Austin as an undergraduate when I studied English and Radio-TV-Film.
Life after UT
After graduating I starting working as a freelance Learning Experience Designer for Six Red Marbles, and a few months later, I began working for Six Red Marbles full time. At SRM, I work on multiple projects at a time, some lasting weeks and others much longer, and they’re all different. The project variety is both challenging and rewarding. In my spare time I read, watch movies, keep up with UT football, and look forward to supporting Austin FC.
Advice for Students
Firstly, dive into class projects! Doing a great job does much more than earning a grade. Class projects can help you showcase your abilities when applying to internships, jobs, or other opportunities. Secondarily, take advantage of internships, on-campus work experiences, and freelance opportunities. Use your status as a grad student from a top-tier university to get your foot in the door, and then let your work do the rest. And lastly, take advantage of all the amenities your tuition is paying for, be that Lynda.com tutorials, free museum access on campus, the Gregory Aquatic Complex, the school libraries, or wherever your fancy takes you.
