The Arrow’s “The Museum of Me”

Amanda Kistler is a senior early childhood and elementary education major. Outside of the classroom, Kistler transitions from student to teacher at the University School for Young Children, where she puts to use the knowledge she gains from her classes. Kistler’s passion has always been to help children, and she said she knew teaching was the best path for her because she could watch her students grow and use what they had learned. (Photo by Kailyn Veach ~ Brand + Project Manager)

Her boyfriend of two years, Johnathan Malcolm, gave her this necklace on their first Christmas together, and Kistler keeps it close to her heart at all times. “I always feel really weird if I don’t wear it because I feel like he’s not with me, and I stress out, because I’m always playing with it,” Kistler said. “Purple is my favorite color, and it’s actually his birthstone, so that’s how it coincides together.” (Kailyn Veach ~ Brand + Project Manager)

After a year-long pandemic, a family member falling ill and numerous previous years of begging, the Kistler family added a new member in January 2021: a poodle-shih tzu mix puppy named Wesley. Kistler had this print of Wesley made as a Christmas present for her mom and said the new addition helped heal her family during this difficult time. “We really decided to adopt him because COVID was really hard, and my brother got really sick. So, he was kind of like a missing member of the family,” Kistler said. “He’s a great dog, and he loves the people in his home. He’s very protective and loving.” (Kailyn Veach ~ Brand + Project Manager)

To help her keep balanced throughout the semester, Kistler starts and ends her days by reading from her book titled “Daily Devotions for a Woman of Faith.” The book’s pages include Bible verses, short anecdotes and prayers. “I got this, this semester, because, mentally, it’s been a really rough semester. I read like, a page a day, and it just kind of helps me find my place,” Kistler said. “I read it in the morning; it kind of helps guide me through the rest of the day, and then I try to read it again at night, just to kind of summarize everything together for that day.” (Kailyn Veach ~ Brand + Project Manager )