With the 2018-2019 school year coming to an end, seniors from Malden High will soon be graduating. Malden has recently congratulated and honored eight seniors from MHS who will be making their future contributions to the field of education.
A ceremony was hosted at the Ferryway School with the accompaniment of the Ferryway Band and Chorus. It was the first time that a ceremony was conducted to those who will be contributing to the profession.
The commemoration was held as a result of a decision that was made across Massachusetts that schools should not only be recognizing athletes, but also students who will be going into the education field.
The celebration was held on May 6th, which was on the week of Teachers Appreciation Week, and was on National Teachers Day. It is a week of recognition towards teachers and educators who have greatly impacted society.
All eight seniors were able to receive a letter and sign off a document that would show that they will be going into the education program at the school that they will be attending.
Of the eight students, senior Jamie Parker was one of those who were able to be acknowledged for their commitment in the education field.
Parker stated that “before going to the ceremony [she] was a little nervous.” But despite that, “once [she] was there, the feeling was great.”
Parker explained that the reason why she wanted to pursue this field was due to how “[she] enjoys the classroom setting and likes to interact with and help little kids.”
She continued on saying that “[she] didn't really know until this year that [she] wanted to be a teacher.” As for her influence, Parker was persuaded as a result of “many of [her] teachers saying that it was a very rewarding job to help kids.”
Parker expressed that not only are “teachers the ones who assist parents in the process of making the children comfortable around others” but they are also the ones who “help children become more confident, independent and prepared for when they leave both home and high school.”
Senior Tyler Risteen was also another student who was honored in the ceremony. Risteen explained that “when [she] started coaching gymnastics for the Malden Recreation Department, it [was] when [she] realized that [she is] actually good at teaching kids and really enjoys it.”
She mentioned that she intends to study elementary education and after receiving her undergraduate degree, Risteen would see herself obtaining a job that would help her “get started in the school environment” and later acquire her masters degree to get a teaching position.
Risteen hopes that in the future, she can “make an impact on kids learning paths as other teachers did to [her]” and to “just really help as many people as [she] can.”
At the ceremony, many officials and teachers from the Malden School Districts such as English teachers Yahaira Marquez and Sean Walsh attended the celebration to congratulate the seniors who have the made the decision to go into teaching.
Walsh stated that “it is an honor to see students be inspired by their teachers and their desire to give back.” He added that “the goal of education is to create citizens and people who want to improve their communities and the world.”
Walsh believes that more students should enter into the profession since “it is an enriching career” and students will be able to see the “joy and complexity of what being a teacher at this moment in time truly means.”
As for Marquez, she expressed that whenever students from MHS pursue a career in education it “makes [her] feel proud” as it is “good to know that there are students recognizing the importance of education and want to cultivate that within others.”
A piece of advice she would give to the aspiring educators is that when things get challenging, “remember to keep your ultimate purpose in mind on why you went into the profession in the first place” Marquez stated, adding to “never lose that verve, that life and vitality within yourself.”
