Excitement filled the air as Cerritos College recognized the 46 graduates of the Teacher TRaining ACademy (Teacher TRAC) Program on May 8.
A time of celebration, the students, their families, faculty and staff gathered to recognize the great success of the program, but more importantly the incredible dedication and hard work of the students.
“The Teacher TRAC students are an inspiration to other students, faculty, family members, and our community,” said Sue Parsons, Teacher TRAC director and mathematics professor. “Their deep commitment to of becoming a teacher and their perseverance is positively overwhelming.”
Each graduate will move on to California State University, Long Beach to finish their last two years, earning both their bachelor’s degree and teaching credential. Dr. Jean Houck, Dean of the College of Education at CSULB congratulated the students on completing the first two years and welcomed them to the university.
The Fred Gaskin Teacher TRAC Transfer Scholarship was presented by former Cerritos College president Dr. Fred Gaskin. The $1,000 scholarship is awarded annually to a student transferring from the Teacher TRAC program to CSULB’s Integrated Teacher Education Program.
In honor of Gaskin and the program, the student’s name is added to a perpetual plaque. In addition, the $1,000 scholarship is matched by CSULB. This year’s recipient was student Shannon Leahey Ladwig of Whittier.
In an essay Ladwig wrote, “I want to be an Elementary School Teacher because I believe that education is our tool for a successful society. Education teaches tolerance, patience and cooperation to the students, to become better citizens and a better society.”
She continued, “Teachers can be seen as a positive role model for all students and those who come from dysfunctional families. I want to be the teacher who can make a difference and have an impact on someone’s life.”
And there is no doubt that Ladwig will do just that. She is just one example of the outstanding students in the Teacher TRAC program.
The students transferring to CSULB in the fall include:
Sheyla Bartolome (Artesia)Emily Basulto (Whittier)Eric Bermudez (Norwalk)Carrie Chuon (Long Beach)Anthony Del Real (Lakewood)Maribel Duran (Paramount)Jaime Flores (Bellflower)Maria Flores (Bellflower)Jessica Frayre (Los Angeles)Lizeth Galindo (Lynwood) Marisol Garcia (Norwalk)Jose Hernandez (Bell Gardens)Jose Iberri (Norwalk)Susana Lara (Bell Gardens)Shannon Leahey-Ladwig (Whittier)Jenny Loveridge (Long Beach)Maritza Magaña (Norwalk)Christina Mavromichalis-Fan (Cerritos)Georgina Mojica (Norwalk) Celinda Picado (Norwalk)Virginia Rodriguez (Southgate)Isela Sahagun (Norwalk)Rocio Valdez (Cudahy)Vanessa Velasco (Pico Rivera)Elvia Villegas (Compton)Melody Warden (Cerritos)
The following students had an opportunity to transfer to CSULB program for the spring semester:
Sarah Benton (Lakewood)Maria Caro (Norwalk)Adriana Cordero-Morones (Los Angeles)Antoinette Croom (Los Alamitos)Desiree Dorado (Bell Gardens)Alexandra Duncan (South Gate)Rachel Girgis (Bellflower)Dallis Glassgoen (La Palma)Lizette Gonzalez (Norwalk)Tammy Gutierrez (La Mirada)Irma Jimenez (Downey)Michele Lawson (Los Angeles)Stacy McMahon (Norwalk)Amy McManus (Artesia)Jessica Meili (Norwalk)Veronica Munoz (Los Angeles)Tammy Pfeffer (Norwalk)Laura Rigby (Los Alamitos)Diana Sandoval (Downey)Dianne VanBeek (Artesia)
To learn more about the Cerritos College Teacher TRAC program, visit the website at www.teachertrac.com or call 562.860.2451, ext. 2213.
