Junior early childhood special education major Hannah Pardon said she always knows when a baby is around. The slightest sniffle or rattle of a toy lets her know a child is in the room. Once she spots the source of the noise, she can’t help but walk by to get a closer look.

This is one of the reasons why Pardon said she has always wanted to work with young children. While in high school, she contemplated a few different majors. However, by the time she came to the UW-Eau Claire, she knew that teaching was the only career for her.

“I’ve always loved kids,” Pardon said. “I grew up around kids younger than me my whole life, so when it came time to decide what I wanted to do, I just knew that teaching was one of my strengths. I really enjoy it.”

According to a November Huffington Post article about the decline of students majoring in certain subjects, there aren’t as many students majoring in education as there once were.

Nearly 40 percent of majors in the United States were education in 1970. In 2013, this number has declined to less than 20 percent, according to the article.

Although the number of majors is decreasing, there are still people like Pardon who are passionate about education.

This semester, Pardon and her sister Andrea Pardon work together at the YMCA’s before and after-school care program.

Andrea Pardon said working with her sister has made her realize teaching is a perfect career path for Hannah Pardon.

“After working with Hannah for a semester, I have learned that she is extremely patient and kind with every type of personality,” Andrea Pardon said. “She can solve conflict before it even happens and she is great at holding the attention if the kids, no matter what the activity is.”

Dawn Marcott, a kindergarten teacher at Sherman Elementary whose classroom Hannah Pardon works in, said her love of children will be a great asset to her in her future career.

“To really like kids and to want them to succeed is what makes you figure out different ways to help kids lean,” Marcott said. “When you can’t reach a kid one way, well, you need to figure out something else, and she’s willing to do that.”

Hannah Pardon said helping children learn is her favorite thing about her major.

“This is going to sound cheesy, but I love knowing that I can change kids’ lives,” Hannah Pardon said. “I’m hoping I will be someone they will remember as they’re growing up and somebody they can look up to and come back to if they need help.”

Hannah Pardon said she’s always known that she wanted to work with children.

“For a while, I wanted to be a pediatric nurse or NICU nurse,” she said. “But I’ve always wanted to do something with children.”

Her love for her major has also influenced her employment while she has been a student at UW-Eau Claire. She has worked at a daycare center in her hometown, of Slinger for three years. She also has worked at the YMCA before-and-after school care program for two years.

Her jobs and major both reflect her love of working with little children.

“I would really like to teach either preschool or kindergarten because I just love little kids,” Pardon said. “I feel like I work really well with that age group and where they are in their development, both physically and mentally.”

Pardon has experience with children both at work and at home. She has always worked well with her little cousins and three younger siblings,” Andrea Pardon said.

“Every day of Hannah’s life has revolved around helping or taking care of a younger sibling or cousin,” Andrea Pardon said. “She has so much experience with little kids and has really learned how to deal with all sorts of different personalities.”

Marcott said there are many reasons why she thinks Hannah Pardon will be successful as a teacher.

“She loves kids, she’s flexible, and she’s willing to go the extra mile. She has all her stuff done ahead of time, which is really important when you’re working with little kids,” Marcott said. “You can’t stop them to go prep something, because, obviously, you’ll lose their attention.”

Marcott also said Hannah Pardon is different from any other college student she has worked with.

“She obviously really sets a high importance on (teaching) in her life,” Marcott said.

After her graduation in Fall 2015, Pardon plans on returning to Slinger to teach.

Pardon said that although there are some aspects of her major that make her doubt herself, there’s one thing that keeps her going.

“I just like knowing that I’m going to make a difference in (my students’) lives,” she said.