Even though she is just getting started in her career, College of Education alumna Lauren Schafer is already making a big impact in a field that’s urgently in need of more educators.
Schafer, who is a special education teacher at Hoover Elementary in Iowa City, was recently featured in a “Together Hawkeyes” feature published by UI’s Center for Advancement.
The following excerpt is from the article:
“Lauren Schafer (24BA, 25MA) is always on the go.
The first-year elementary special education teacher covers more than 6 miles a day within the halls of Hoover Elementary School in Iowa City. While she treks a remarkable amount of ground between bells, her work with special education students—both in classroom and 1-on-1 settings—is more important than ever.
Her goal is to always instill confidence.
‘Sometimes the general classroom isn’t always accessible for my students, and that’s difficult on them,’ she says. ‘I advocate for them and teach them to advocate for themselves. I want them to feel valued and capable—even if some things are difficult.’
Schafer is one of more than 5,700 UI College of Education graduates working in all 99 Iowa counties as teachers, superintendents, principals, counselors, and media specialists. Amid a U.S. teacher shortage, Schafer and other Hawkeye educators are bringing energy and commitment to today’s classrooms.
According to the Iowa Department of Education, special education was identified as the most in-need teaching specialty for the 2025–26 academic year. Schafer knew she wanted to pursue this important work since she was young.
‘I played teacher with my stuffed animals in elementary school,’ she says. ‘The dream to teach grew from there.’
Growing up in Iowa City, her ambitions began to blossom as she babysat, volunteered with students who have intellectual and developmental disabilities, and took college-level classes in high school through the Kirkwood Community College Education Academy—a dual-credit program offered in collaboration with Kirkwood and Iowa. Schafer remembers one impactful class taught by Mark McDermott (09PhD), a faculty member in the UI College of Education.”