Being a young scholar in higher education has come with its own set of challenges for Dr. Nicholas D. Hartlep, an associate professor of urban education and the chair of the early childhood and elementary education department at Metropolitan State University.
Across the years, Hartlep has felt judged by those who have told him that he “ascended pretty fast” within his career.
At 34, he also believes that his age has also been a stumblingblock.
“Higher education is very hierarchal,” says Hartlep. “My challenges have been microaggression and invisibility as a function of my age. So both have been really big barriers for me. What’s really nice now though, at Metro State, is having institutional support.”
Before becoming a professor, Hartlep taught in public schools for three years in Minnesota and Wisconsin. He also briefly taught abroad in Quito, Ecuador upon completing his undergraduate degree at Winona State University.
“I always thought schools were a perfect place for me,” he says. “I like kids, I enjoy working with youth and sports, so it was perfect.”
Hartlep returned to his alma mater to earn a master’s degree. While working on his degree, he was a long-term substitute teacher, teaching high school Spanish and middle school math and social studies.
