Nearly every seat was taken in Eager Auditorium as Worcester State University welcomed more than 100 high school students to the Call to Education Conference held April 4. Coordinated in partnership with Worcester Public Schools, this teacher-led panel offered students firsthand knowledge into the various careers in education.
Caleb Encarnacion-Rivera, director of recruitment, cultivation, and equity for the Worcester Public Schools, opened the event and introduced the first speaker, Ryan Forsythe, vice president for enrollment management at Worcester State University.
Forsythe shared the legacy of Sarah Ella Wilson, a trailblazing 1894 alumna of Worcester State. Wilson taught in the Worcester schools for nearly 50 years while fighting for women’s rights and helping to spark the civil rights movement in Massachusetts.
“Fast forward to today, and nearly 40 percent of teachers, counselors, and administrators in Worcester Public Schools hold at least one education degree from this university,” Forsythe said. “Today’s program is intended to inform and inspire students to see that education can be a path for you, too.”
The keynote address was delivered by Yeu Kue, assistant superintendent of personnel, engagement, and equity in the Worcester Public Schools. Reflecting on her journey in education, Kue emphasized the importance of diversity.
“As I advanced in my career in education, I didn’t see people like me in the roles I aspired to be in—as a Hmong woman and in other aspects of my identity,” she said. “Be your authentic self. Together, we can break the cycle.”
After that, students broke off to attend panel discussions. During the first panel, elementary, middle, and high school teachers answered questions about their daily responsibilities and how they work through challenges in the classroom. Students asked about how to work with parents, how to overcome learning barriers with students, and more.
“I learned that you must be patient. We can be self-absorbed in our own world,” said Janiel Alicea, a junior at Claremont Academy in Worcester. “It’s good to help people. You need to be optimistic and enthusiastic about what you do.”
The second panel featured school psychologists, social workers, and a school nurse, among other non-teaching education professionals.
“There are many ways to help kids, not just teaching,” said Claremont Academy junior Nikki Perritt after that talk. “I don’t really want to teach, but I am interested in the role of wrap-around coordinator. The second panel taught me things I didn’t know about working in education.”
Reflecting on the conference, Raynold Lewis, associate dean of education at Worcester State University, said, “I’m hoping that students will leave the conference inspired, and that those who never thought of teaching will begin to think about it. Hearing about the experiences of our teachers and realizing it’s something they can do plants a seed, and we hope to certainly encourage them.”
Top photo: Caleb Encarnacion-Rivera, at left, director of recruitment, cultivation, and equity for the Worcester Public Schools, with panelists at the April 4 Call to Education Conference at Worcester State University. (Photo by Natalie Boutiette)
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