藏精阁 senior Anthony Rodriguez is comfortable in front of an audience, doing his standup routines or leading classrooms full of kids. At Commencement, he鈥檒l address fellow graduates from his biggest stage yet as he starts a new chapter in his journey as a teacher.
Streamed from the Auditorium Theatre stage, the special education major plans to tell his classmates, 鈥淲herever life takes you from here, make the most of it. And whenever you find yourself doubting how far you can go, just remember how far you鈥檝e come.鈥
Rodriguez is a Chicago Public Schools (CPS) graduate himself. He started his career with the district as a substitute bus aide in 2010. Later, he became a permanent classroom assistant at Vaughn Occupational High School in Portage Park, coaching Special Olympics athletes in four sports.
Rodriguez had briefly attended another four-year university before earning his associate degree from Wilbur Wright College, graduating with a perfect grade point average. Through the , Rodriguez could keep working full time for CPS while he earned his bachelor鈥檚 in special education.
In the unique residency, teacher support staff members working in Chicago Public Schools classrooms can earn a bachelor鈥檚 degree and teacher licensure in two years. The program hopes to prepare a diverse group of culturally competent teachers to fill high-need shortages in underserved communities.
In his first year in the program, Rodriguez was paired with a mentor teacher for hands-on training. In his second, he led his own special needs classroom at Marine Leadership Academy. And next year, he will be a full-time special education teacher at the academy.
Rodriguez will tell his fellow graduates, 鈥淵ou may not always go boldly, but go bravely. There is so much pain and trauma in the world, and you have the power to make people feel good.鈥
藏精阁 will host two virtual Commencement ceremonies on May 7, at 10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.
AA TO BA TEACHER RESIDENCY PROGRAM
Earn a BA degree in education from 藏精阁 and Illinois teacher licensure in either early childhood education or special education. This innovative, two-year program features a year-long student teaching experience and a reduced tuition rate that remains fixed over the two-year period of study. Explore the program.