Special Education | Selected Student Profiles

What is your academic/professional background prior to coming to AU?
Prior to attending AU, I received my undergraduate degree from THE Ohio State University, where I became a proud member of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. After graduation from OSU I graciously served as a City Year Corps member in Columbus, Ohio. I worked for four years for an insurance company which allowed me to spend some time in the state of Wisconsin.

Why did you choose AU, and the MA in Special Education: Learning Disabilities in particular?
I choose AU due to it’s vast variety of education paths at the Masters level. I was actually undecided between Elementary education and Special Education days prior to starting my program. I felt, now know, that AU’s Special Education program was the correct path for my professional growth. The program provides instruction from extremely knowledgeable professors with vast experiences.

Have you worked on any specific research projects that you would like to highlight?
I am currently working on a research project that looks to better understand how information that is being tested is selected for standardized testing. I am primarily looking at testing that is delivered to urban school districts such as district wide testing and testing the Special Education eligibility.

Can you describe what you are working on at your current internship/job?
Currently I am a Special Education teacher and project coordinator for a local high school. I am pleased to learning on a daily basis what makes a great classroom work as well as an educational institution. With the passion I have to lead within the academic arena I have taken the lead as the Graduate President of the College of Arts and Sciences.
 

What is your academic/professional background prior to coming to AU?
I grew up overseas, coming to the United States for the first time to attend college. I completed my Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Psychology at Villanova and UMass. Currently, I work at a nonprofit organization called America's Promise Alliance, which is the nation’s largest partnership dedicated to improving the lives of children and youth. We bring together more than 400 national organizations representing nonprofits, businesses, communities, educators and policymakers. Building on the legacy of founding chairman, General Colin Powell, we are a strong and effective partnership alliance committed to ensuring children experience the fundamental resources they need to succeed.

Why did you choose AU, and the MA in Special Education: Learning Disabilities in particular?
America’s Promise Alliance launched the Grad Nation campaign in 2010, which is now a large and growing movement of dedicated individuals, organizations and communities working together to end America’s high school dropout crisis. While working on this mission, I personally became concerned that students with learning disabilities did not have adequate preparation for mandated state assessments. Amid new school accountability policies and stiffer promotion and graduation requirements, what interventions work to lower an unacceptably high dropout rate for students with disabilities? I wanted answers to this question, and therefore decided to enroll in the MA in Special Education: Learning Disabilities program at AU.

What makes AU so special to me? First and foremost, I attribute AU's uniqueness to the quality of the people, both educators and students. AU's distinguished faculty have a long history of success in attracting competitive research funding. And in the global race for talent, smart people attract other smart people. AU draws outstanding students from around the world.

Additionally, AU's long tradition of collaboration also positions the school to make an outstanding contribution in our rapidly changing world - one in which the most exciting breakthroughs are being made across disciplines and where strong global networks are key to success.

Have you worked on any specific research projects that you would like to highlight?
I have yet to be involved in a specific research project at AU, but would very much like to bridge the gap between my work life and school life, and get America's Promise involved with the research being done at AU.

What is your academic/professional background prior to coming to AU?
I completed my Bachelors of Science in Communication at the University of Miami (Florida), double majoring in Video/Film and Economics with a minor in Secondary English Education. Upon graduation, I moved back to my hometown in New York, where I started working as a teacher aide in the school division of a residential therapeutic facility for girls with trauma in their background. Many of these girls had diagnosed behavioral/emotional disorders and/or learning disabilities. I originally started working in this school to fill my days while I looked for a job in the TV production industry, but I soon came to realize that these girls needed a more qualified teacher than I was at that moment and that I wanted to become the teacher they needed. I was also inspired by nannying for a family that had adopted 13 children with varying special needs and seeing the life-changing work they were doing with their children.

Why did you choose AU, and the MA in Special Education: Learning Disabilities in particular?
AU and the SE:LD program were the clear choices for two reasons. First, no other Dean and staff were as hands-on, welcoming, helpful, and knowledgeable as Dean Belson and the SETH faculty and staff. I received personal emails answering all my questions and had face-to-face meetings on several occasions. This treatment has only increased once I officially joined the program. Secondly, SETH’s partnership with the Lab School is unparalleled. The theoretical framework learned in classes is immediately applicable in the full-year internship at the Lab School. Now that I am nearing the end of the program, I am confident and comfortable in the classroom, knowing that I have not only learned, but practiced research-based techniques with a variety of students.

Have you worked on any specific research projects that you would like to highlight?
This past summer, I had the opportunity to work with Dr. Alida Anderson on two of her research projects. I conducted assessments for students with and without learning disabilities to measure language prosody (the ability to detect rhythm patterns). I also helped collect and code transcripts for a study on the effects of arts-integration on student and teacher language use. These opportunities, not only offered me an up-close look at how research is conducted, but seamlessly complimented what I was learning in my classes and implemented in my internship.

Can you describe what you are working on at your current internship/job?
I currently work as a graduate assistant for SETH, but I am also student teaching for a second certification in Secondary English Education. The techniques and experience I gained during my first year in the SE:LD program have improved my teaching in this subject area exponentially. The best practices for students with learning disabilities are best practices for all students and only help you serve general education students in a more comprehensive manner.

I was instantly attracted to the rigorous MA program in Special Education: Learning Disabilities at American University. American University’s teacher preparation program is designed to prepare special education teachers to be effective in delivering necessary learning interventions so that all students can be successful. We were provided with evidence-based instructional strategies to teach students with a variety of disabilities. The program delivered a course sequence (from literacy to behavior management) that prepared me to be a holistic Learning Specialist- I am able to effectively educate my diverse learners and increase student achievement.

The hands on training and knowledge that I received from my professors during my MA at American University has proved to be an invaluable and long lasting resource. A unique aspect of SETH's special education program, in which I was able to participate in, was the collaboration with the distinguished Lab School of Washington and the schools founder, Sally L. Smith (1929-2007), AU professor, special education pioneer, and one of my mentors.

As I attended American University, I taught as a Teach For America special educator and transition coordinator in DC. The foundations of holistic teaching practices that I was afforded at AU have traveled with me throughout my seven years in education. Shortly after AU, I was privileged to teach in Alexandria City Public Schools, where I am currently an Inclusion Specialist for the district. I model effective instructional pedagogy for teachers and provide professional development on successful co-teaching, differentiation, Universal Design for Learning, classroom management, and reaching students with severe disabilities in inclusive classrooms. I have held an Adjunct Professor position at the School of Education and Health Sciences at American University, consulted with various educational organizations in DC, and I have presented at numerous conferences on the topics of transition, learning strategies, and successful inclusion. As a continuous learner, I plan to keep learning, reflecting, and sharing best instructional practices in successfully impacting the daily lives and long-term achievements in learning of children and youth with disabilities.

Why did you join the MA program in Special Education: Learning Disabilities at American University?
I joined the MA program in Special Education: Learning Disabilities at American University to further my abilities and knowledge of teaching and education. During an internship at a District of Columbia public school during my undergraduate program, it was evident that in the general classroom students with special needs need to be accommodated. I wanted to develop my expertise in working and integrate special needs students in the classroom. I chose to continue my education at AU and enroll in their Master’s program which I was able to combine with my undergraduate degree from AU and complete a BA/MA combination program in 5 years. Going into the Master’s program at AU, I knew I would get specialized knowledge and skills that I be able to utilize throughout my teaching career.

Could you tell us about some of your experiences while at AU?
While at AU, I was given the opportunity to apply new techniques and ideas directly in the classroom, which enabled me to develop and refine my own teaching style. Additionally, it gave me a more conclusive picture of what learning disabilities and special education are, how they manifest themselves in a classroom and techniques to support the diversity of students and learning styles. Most importantly, I was able to practice integrating arts into the curriculum.

How did your career evolve after completing your MA at AU?
After completing my MA at AU I was able to begin my teaching career abroad. I received a head elementary teaching position at an American International School in Greece. I have been able to adapt my teaching by tailoring instructional techniques and materials to a classroom of English language learners.

How do you see the years ahead of you?
I would like to be able to continue to gain international teaching experience.



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