20 AQUINAS LANDMARK | WINTER 2024 Alumni News Young Alumni Educators So many of our alumni have gone on to pursue careers in education – often inspired by the teachers they had as students right here at Aquinas. Maureen Elliott ’14, Vanessa Fulmore ’18, Naquan James ’16, and Andrew Kausch ’14 share with us when their passion for teaching began and what they’ve found to be so rewarding about the profession. MAUREEN ELLIOTT ’14 UNDERGRADUATE DEGREE AND SCHOOL: Childhood/ Special Education (Grades 1-6): Concentration in Mathematics, The College of Saint Rose, December 2017 MASTERS DEGREES: Instructional Technology & Curriculum/Instruction, University of Albany, May 2020, Reading Science, Mount Saint Joseph University, May 2023 WHAT DO YOU TEACH AND WHERE? I’m in my sixth year of teaching fourth grade at Rogers Middle School in the West Irondequoit Central School District. WHAT OR WHO INSPIRED YOU TO PURSUE A CAREER IN EDUCATION? There were many people and teachers who inspired my career in education, probably too many to accurately share. My parents, my mom who is an educator and my dad who was not, were both huge influences and were always supportive of my career pursuits! A teacher that inspired me at Aquinas is Mr. Catalfano ’01. He gave me the confidence and opportunities to lead in the classroom. He also modeled what a caring and compassionate teacher who went above and beyond for students looked like. HOW DID AQUINAS HELP PREPARE YOU FOR YOUR CAREER? Aquinas modeled and taught me responsibility and respect for all. It showed me a school isn’t always just a school, sometimes it is a family. Between all of the teams and activities to be part of, I quickly learned that the AQ family was there for me – both academically and socially. This helps me remember that students are more than just students! WHAT DO YOU FIND MOST REWARDING ABOUT BEING AN EDUCATOR? I am grateful to be a small part of each child’s educational career. The most rewarding part of being an educator is seeing the joy on each kid’s face when something just “clicks” – whether it is academic, social or even outside of school! VANESSA FULMORE ’18 UNDERGRADUATE DEGREE AND SCHOOL: Bachelor of Science in Special and Elementary Education, Minor in Mathematics Education, The College of Saint Rose, 2022. MASTERS DEGREE: Master of Education in Curriculum Development and Instructional Technology, The University at Albany, Class of 2023. WHAT DO YOU TEACH AND WHERE? I’m a fourth grade teacher at Southgate School in the North Colonie Central School District in Albany, NY. WHAT OR WHO INSPIRED YOU TO PURSUE A CAREER IN EDUCATION? My educational journey has been filled with exceptional educators who inspired me to follow in their footsteps, many at AQ, but most notably my grandmother and mother who have served as my biggest inspirations to enter the field. HOW DID AQUINAS HELP PREPARE YOU FOR YOUR CAREER? Aquinas educators such as Mrs. Battisti served not only as role models in the profession, but also as mentors as my career began to take shape. WHAT DO YOU FIND MOST REWARDING ABOUT BEING AN EDUCATOR? “Students don’t care what you know until they know that you care.” Every day I get to pour into my students to help them learn and grow as scholars and independent individuals while also showing them the love of Christ through my actions. That alone is a blessing and my biggest reward as an educator.
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