From Students to Teachers: How Two Liberal Arts Undergraduates Took the Lead in the Classroom
Standing at the front of a lecture hall filled with nearly 200 students, Hannah Cano and Annmarie Pesavento weren’t just taking notes, they were leading a class of their peers.
For both students, the moment marked something bigger than a single lecture. It was a reflection of what their college experience had quietly been building toward: the confidence, support and real-world preparation to step into a role most undergraduates never expect to hold.
The chance to teach is just one example of what elevated their journeys in the College of Liberal Arts (CLA).
Cano balances her academics with work in Purdue’s archives, where she has transcribed more than 150 speeches by Neil Armstrong, an experience she credits with helping her secure an internship with Warner Bros. Archives in California.
“At 20 years old, I’ve worked with materials that most people never get access to,” she said.
Pesavento’s experience has been equally expansive. Through CLA, she has studied abroad twice, including a faculty-led program in Scotland where she collaborated with international students and attended a research symposium featuring cutting-edge political science work.
She’s now completing a capstone project analyzing how global events are perceived differently in the U.S. and Europe.
“I wouldn’t have had those opportunities without CLA,” she said.
An unexpected path to the front of the room
Neither Cano nor Pesavento came to Purdue expecting to teach a college class.
Cano, a Degree Plus student in history and social studies education, chose Purdue in part because it felt close to home and because of her long-standing love of history. Pesavento, a political science major with a history minor, was drawn to the College of Liberal Arts for a different reason: its size.
“You’re able to get to know faculty and not feel lost in a lecture hall,” she said.
That access to faculty would prove pivotal for their collegiate careers. Both students became teaching assistants (TAs) after receiving an email about the opportunity from a faculty member. Now, Cano is in her third semester as a TA, and Pesavento is in her second.
Learning by doing
As TAs, Cano and Pesavento weren’t just helping behind the scenes. They were responsible for grading dozens of assignments every two weeks, supporting hundreds of students and navigating similar challenges that faculty face.
“You’re responsible for over 150 students’ work,” Cano said. “That’s something I can put on a resume and something that’s prepared me in a way that’s different from a traditional classroom experience.”
For Pesavento, the role reshaped how she sees student support.
“We’re still students ourselves,” she said. “So, we understand the stress. Being able to help ease that pressure and guide students has been really meaningful.”
Both emphasized that the experience sharpened their communication, time management and critical thinking skills, especially in an academic landscape increasingly influenced by AI.
“It really reinforces how important it is to think critically and develop your own ideas,” Pesavento said.
That preparation came to life when the two were given the opportunity to lead a full class session, an uncommon responsibility for undergraduate students.
Working together, they built a lecture on the 1950s, blending traditional content with interactive elements like historical newspapers and even pop culture references.
“We wanted to focus on what students would actually remember,” Pesavento said.
“A lot of them didn’t realize how connected Purdue is to history,” Pesavento said. “It made the material more real.”
Taking the chance
Leading a lecture may have been a defining moment, but it wasn’t the end goal. It was proof of something larger.
In the College of Liberal Arts, students aren’t just preparing for what comes next, they’re already doing it. And sometimes, that means stepping out of the seat and into the spotlight at the front of the room.