Emma Bonnaci ‘18, ‘21 | Woman of Midland

Emma Bonacci graduated with a Bachelor of Science in History from University of Nebraska Omaha in 2012, but wasn’t able to find a job in that field. That led her to apply for a paraprofessional position at Omaha Public Schools. She was placed in a kindergarten classroom at Conestoga Elementary where she worked for 3 years before being accepted into Midland University’s Para to Teacher program in 2017. While in the program, Emma continued to work as a para and upon her graduation from Midland in 2019, Bonacci accepted a full-time Kindergarten position at Sherman Elementary. She was also selected to present a session at the spring Nebraska Educational Technology Association (NETA) Conference in 2019 on how to best integrate technology into paraprofessional directed small groups. As a result of her amazing Midland experience, she immediately enrolled in Midland’s Master of Education program in the summer of 2019. She completed her M.Ed in the summer of 2021. In the fall of 2022, Bonacci became an adjunct instructor in the Teacher Career Ladder program offered through the Center for Graduate and Professional Studies, the same program she started in. Emma now teaches Early Childhood Education at Highland Elementary. “I would not be the teacher, or person, that I am today with Midland and I hope to continue to be a part of the Midland family long into the future. Midland has been a cornerstone of my professional and personal success and I am so grateful to everyone who helped me get to where I am today.”