“What do you want to do when you grow up?” This was a question I was asked countless times as a child, and I always had the same answer: “I want to help people.” When I started my higher education journey at Carroll Community College in Westminster, Maryland, I found that secondary education with a concentration in history was the right path for me.
At Carroll Community College, I took advantage of teaching programs that focused on field experience, with placements at a local Boys & Girls club, as well as the special education departments at nearby public schools. The question of how to teach a diverse group of students, including those with disabilities, has inspired and challenged me in the best possible way. Not all people learn the same way or come from the same background, but that should never limit their potential as students. Teachers are responsible for planning in an equitable manner to give all the opportunity to succeed. My drive to reach students of all backgrounds and abilities led me to the University of Maryland College of Education after I graduated summa cum laude with my associate degree from Carroll.
Transferring schools was a big shift. UMD is over ten times the size of my former community college, with students from all over the world, not just the rural Maryland county I grew up in. Yet I immediately felt at home at the College of Education. This was in part due to the work of advisers who planned out countless ice cream socials, lunches and other events where students could get to know one another. I was able to connect with a diverse group of peers who were also determined to be educators, something that would have otherwise been difficult for me as a commuter transfer student. Last spring, the College of Education expanded these efforts under the new EdTerps CARES (Building Community, Access, and Resources for Educator Success) Network, which focuses specifically on supporting community college transfer students and students of color.
Through the College of Education, I have been expanding my horizons, interning with my peers in a history classroom at a Prince George’s County middle school, preparing for student teaching. The support of my mentors undoubtedly furthered my commitment to education.
In my personal life, I began searching for additional ways to gain experiences in education, becoming dual certified as a substitute school bus special needs aide and school bus driver in two Maryland counties. Through this job, I have not only had the opportunity to improve my skill set working with diverse learners but also have learned the importance of not taking student behavior personally. All students have bad days and good days, but I’ve learned that you cannot let the bad days define who they are. When students have a meltdown on the bus in the afternoon, I come by the next morning to pick them up with a smile on my face, greeting them like nothing had happened. Students have thanked me for giving them that grace. They need to know that someone cares and also sets firm boundaries and high expectations. When teaching (or driving a school bus), every day is a new day where you can make a positive difference in a child’s life.
Photo by Tatiana Herrera
