SJC Brooklyn faculty sent the cohort of soon-to-be-teachers in the Class of 2020 well wishes on the next chapter of their lives through a celebratory virtual event this month.
Faculty from the programs — including B.A. in Child Study, M.A. in Special Education and M.A. in Literacy and Cognition — joined the graduates on Zoom in separate ceremonies to recognize their hard work and dedication to the teaching profession.
In 2020, SJC Brooklyn graduated 31 students from the Child Study undergraduate program, seven students from the Special Education master’s program, and another seven students from the Literacy and Cognition master’s program.
The department set up the ceremonies to give faculty an opportunity to provide a warm send-off to graduates in an intimate setting.
Karen Russo, Ed.D., a child study and literacy and cognition professor, joined her colleagues in celebrating the future teachers during the Child Study ceremony.
“You have faced many challenges this semester. It was a long journey to get to this semester, but you’ve shown great resilience and fortitude,” Dr. Russo said. “Those are great qualities for a teacher to have. They’re essential qualities for a teacher to have. I challenge you to keep that fighting spirit and to keep that inner strength.”
Inspirational quotes from present-day, historic and fictional greats — including Maya Angelau and Dr. Seuss — were recited throughout the ceremonies, as graduates looked forward to kicking off their teaching careers.
“I hope to keep in contact with you in the future and to know about all the great things that you’ll be doing,” Sarah Birch, Ph.D., an assistant professor and the director of the M.A. in Childhood and Adolescence Special Education program said one of the virtual ceremonies. “Congratulations, everyone!”
