This is not the end, it’s the beginning. That was the message from U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona ’01 MA, ’04 6th Year, ’11 Ed.D., ’12 ELP to UConn’s 2021 graduates, delivered Saturday, May 8 via video during the livestreamed commencement ceremony for all students receiving degrees this year – undergraduate, graduate, and professional.

For Rachael Manzer, a doctoral candidate in the Neag School of Education, life-transformative education takes many forms. Manzer is a five-year volunteer of the UConn 4-H Program, a leader with the Granby 4-H Club, a member of the NASA Network of Astronaut Teachers (NEAT), and a candidate for commercial space flight through Teachers in Space, Inc. In 2019, Manzer received the UConn College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources (CAHNR) 4-H Leadership Award, and was recently selected as the 2021 Northeast 4-H Volunteer of the Year Award.

Throughout the academic year, the Neag School is proud to share the latest achievements of its faculty, staff, students, and alumni. Explore their most recent promotions, awards, retirements, publications, and more.

Isabella “Bella” Gradante ’20 (ED), ’21 MA says she always knew she would pursue a career in education, having been raised by a family of educators and around schools her whole life. It wasn’t until she entered her master’s year in the Neag School’s Integrated Bachelor’s/Master’s (IB/M) program that she found what truly called her to the field: the practice of culturally relevant and sustaining teaching.

.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona praised new University of Connecticut graduates for their work in helping to respond to the coronavirus pandemic and urged them to use their uniqueness as their “superpower” to accomplish their career and life goals, in a recorded speech played Saturday at a virtual 2021 commencement. Cardona, Connecticut’s former education commissioner who earned graduate degrees at UConn, taped the speech Friday at UConn’s football stadium in East Hartford, the site of Saturday’s ceremony. The school awarded nearly 8,200 degrees.

KeyBank, the Official Retail Bank of UConn Men’s Basketball, today partnered with Husky Ticket Project to present “UConn Day” to the students of E.B Kennelly School in Hartford. KeyBank provided pizzas and ice cream to more than 400 students and 120 staff members, including 20 University of Connecticut Neag School of Education students completing their year-long teaching internships at Kennelly School. Conceived in 2018 to thank Kennelly School for the student teaching internships, UConn Day also drives awareness and excitement in Kennelly students for attending college someday.

As Commencement approaches, we are featuring some of our Neag School Class of 2021 graduating seniors over the coming days.

We are featuring some of our Neag School Class of 2020 graduating seniors. Click each student image below to read a Q&A with each individual.

As Commencement approaches, we are featuring some of our Neag School Class of 2021 graduating seniors over the coming days.

As Commencement approaches, we are featuring some of our Neag School Class of 2021 graduating seniors over the coming days.