Beginning at UD

With the support of her parents, Cobb’s teaching journey began at UD with a college experience that shaped her both personally and professionally. 

“My mother, having grown up in the United States, deeply understood the value of education,” Cobb said. “She was the driving force behind me and made sure college was always part of the plan. My father, who saw America as the land of opportunity and freedom, supported my mother’s vision wholeheartedly.”

Cobb remembers her participation in CEHD’s ASPIRE program as one of her most meaningful experiences. This student organization supports high schoolers and college students who are interested in education and human services careers, including those from underrepresented backgrounds like Cobb. 

“ASPIRE gave me a strong sense of community, purpose and the confidence to lead,” Cobb said. “My ASPIRE advisor, Mr. Jim Shaw, was a steady mentor throughout my time at UD. He made every student feel valued, seen and capable of making a difference.”

In light of the many sacrifices her parents made to invest in her education, Cobb also felt honored to be named an Hispanic Student of Distinction, an experience that filled her with pride and affirmed her commitment to equity in education.

Serving her educational communities  

Cobb carried this commitment with her as she began her teaching career and grew into a valued member of local, national and global education communities. In 2014, she traveled to Nicaragua, where she used her bilingual skills to work alongside local educators modeling center-based learning strategies. Since 2016, she has served as the science teacher leader at Mount Pleasant Elementary, supporting curriculum implementation, teacher training, schoolwide science initiatives and Delaware’s implementation of the Next Generation Science Standards. 

In line with her teaching philosophy, she has also organized learning experiences to places like the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, Delaware Museum of Nature and Science, and the University of Pennsylvania Museum, often securing grants to ensure access for all of the third grade students. 

“My teaching philosophy centers on inclusion, engagement and exploration,” Cobb said. “I believe students learn best when they’re actively involved, collaborating on meaningful, real-world tasks and learning through experience. One of my favorite lessons is our annual owl pellet dissection, which I lead for over 150 third graders in our school’s multipurpose room. Students use real tools and bone charts to analyze what their owl consumed — transforming them into curious, focused researchers. It’s equal parts science and adventure.”

Cobb’s engaging teaching methods have not gone unnoticed. In addition to receiving the national PAEMST award, she was named Mount Pleasant Elementary’s Teacher of the Year in 2022. 

“Mrs. Cobb’s ability to inspire her students is unparalleled,” said Ethel Chang, the parent of two of Cobb’s students. “Her dynamic science projects — like the elephant toothpaste experiment — ignited my daughter’s interest in jet propulsion as part of her dream to one day work for NASA. Her demonstration of the Japanese Maglev train completely captivated my son, prompting him to draw parallels between the train’s frictionless glide and the motion of objects in the vacuum of outer space. Every child needs that one teacher who strikes the spark that sets off a chain reaction of curiosity, creativity and scientific wonder. For our family, that teacher is Mrs. Cobb.”

Returning to UD

Since graduating from UD, Cobb and her husband, Goodwin K. Cobb IV — also a UD alum who proposed to her in front of the University’s Morris Library — have returned many times to cheer for the Blue Hens at football games and enjoy Alumni Weekend. Cobb and her husband will celebrate their 25th anniversary this summer. Their oldest son is also a proud Blue Hen, earning his engineering degree in 2024.

“It’s incredibly meaningful to see UD continue shaping the next generation of our family,” Cobb said. 

Cobb also remains an active member of the education community at UD. In 2015, she served on an alumni panel for the ASPIRE program, and in 2019, she hosted a Khbrat teacher from Saudi Arabia as part of CEHD and the English Language Institute's international professional development initiative. 

“Participating in the Khbrat program was a rewarding experience that sparked rich dialogue about instructional strategies and cross-cultural learning,” Cobb said. “I hope to continue to give back to the University — perhaps as a student teacher coordinator, an adjunct instructor in science or STEM education or a student advisor. It would be an honor to support the next generation of educators at the institution that gave me my start.”

To learn more UD degrees in education or professional development opportunities, visit UD’s education pathways webpage, CEHD’s overview of graduate programs or CEHD’s School Success Center. To learn more about CEHD research in teacher preparation and teacher learning, visit its research webpage.