Patricia “Pat” Jepson’s history with UConn spans several decades – from her time as a high school student to her retirement in 2017. Throughout her career, Jepson worked to promote excellence and diversity in Connecticut’s agricultural education programs – a commitment she maintains even now. As a student at Wilson High School (now Middletown High School), Jepson was involved in her school’s agriculture program and took UConn co-op credits. Jepson, a first-generation college student, went on to study animal science at UConn.

This fall, the Neag School welcomes its incoming hires, congratulates existing faculty members on new appointments, and gives thanks to retirees

Since 2017, the number of students of color has more than doubled in the Neag School’s Teacher Certification Program for College Graduates and increased by 33% in the Integrated Bachelor’s/Master’s Teacher Education Program.

Michael Fenn ’19 (CLAS), ’21 MA, a native of East Lyme, Connecticut, grew up around many family members who served as teachers, including his father, grandmother, mother, and two of his sisters. After completing his undergraduate degree in general science at UConn in 2019, Forsyth went on to earn his master’s degree in curriculum and instruction through the 11-month Teacher Certification Program for College Graduates (TCPCG) at the Neag School of Education. He is now a middle school science teacher for Manchester (Connecticut) Public Schools.

Dr. Violet Jiménez Sims, the associate director of teacher education at Neag, said that education students could meet some of the demand for teachers. Her five-year program partners with 13 districts in the state, and she said that many of these districts hire their graduates. Dr. Niralee Patel-Lye, who directs Neag’s accelerated teacher certification program, said the department recently piloted a program that places students in full-time teaching positions.

Rachel Holden is a graduate student studying agricultural education at UConn’s Neag School through the Teacher Certification Program for College Graduates.

High school students at a CREC Academy School in Windsor are showing off two projects they’ve built aimed at helping Syrian refugees in our state. “I wanted to make sure they understood immigration from a different standpoint,” said history teacher Parag Bhuva.

Thanks to a $30,000 Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship, 43-year-old Arthur Lerner is now advancing his education through the Teacher Certification Program for College Graduates at UConn’s Avery Point campus. The scholarship is helping to create a smooth transition for him as he goes from nonprofit work to pursuing a career as a biology teacher.

The two rookie Staples English teachers became friends when they were first semester senior English majors at UConn and had overlapping schedules. As they both headed on to the UConn Teacher Certification Program for College Graduates (TCPCG), their friendship grew.

Change Lives. Become a Teacher. Fall Open House Sessions for UConn’s One-Year Teacher Certification Program