Mohonasen senior Hope Keller-Scholten is turning her passion for helping others into a future career as a special education teacher through the Capital Region BOCES Early Childhood Education program.
As part of the program, Hope and her classmate, Maddy Powell of Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake, recently had the opportunity to put their career aspirations into practice by preparing and teaching a lesson to preschool students at the YMCA located on the Career and Technical Education Center Albany Campus.
Hope shared that her inspiration to pursue special education comes from her experiences with students who learn differently. “I have been around a lot of special education students, and I feel it’s where I want to make a difference and help people,” she said.
Through the Early Childhood Education program, students like Hope gain hands-on experience working with children while building a strong foundation in classroom management, curriculum development and child development. The program also emphasizes communication with families and collaboration with staff in educational settings. Students graduate with valuable skills and experiences that prepare them for careers in teaching and childcare.