On Tuesday, students in the Education Professions program at Finger Lakes Technical and Career Center (FLTCC) wrapped up their internships with different Special Education classrooms at Newark Education Center (NEC).
The internship opportunity was the result of an ongoing partnership between FLTCC Instructor, Keith Roll, and NEC Principal, Elise Comella, along with NEC Assistant Principals Änna Harasimowicz and Kristin Graham.
Working collaboratively, the team developed a plan to immerse the Education Professions students into classrooms, dividing them up and allowing them to work one-on-one with NEC students so they were able to experience the day-to-day operations of a real special education classroom.
“Welcoming students from the FLTCC Education Professions program into our K–8 classrooms at NEC has been an incredibly rewarding experience,” said Comella. “Seeing them learn alongside our staff, build confidence, and gain real-world experience reaffirmed the power of hands-on learning.”
Comella continued describing the impact of the internships, saying that by the third day, several students had shared that the experience helped them realize their passion for education, one student even expressing her goal to become a special education teacher.
Roll emphasized the impact on his FLTCC students, saying “Our interns have been able to learn best practices for educating students with diverse needs. It has been a blessing working with Newark Education Center.”
Laci, a junior in the Education Professions program from Victor High School, felt drawn to the internship because of her personal experience and noted that this opportunity only helped solidify her intent to continue working with students in the K-8 population.
“I love working with kids in general, but I feel even more drawn to students with disabilities because I want to be an advocate for them. I want to be a safe space for them and make sure they always feel included,” Laci said.
The team agreed that the goal of hands-on learning is beneficial to everyone involved and have been brainstorming on how they can collaborate even more in the future to provide more experiences and opportunities.
“Watching these young professionals grow, explore their future, and feel supported by our community highlights the impact of collaboration,” Comella said. “When we open our classrooms and support one another, everyone benefits—our students, our schools, and the future of education."