IASC NEXT Career Pathways Teacher Spotlight
Anna Francisco, Class Act teacher for MN North College, and Program Coordinator for The College of St. Scholastica, has been involved in the IASC NEXT Education Career Pathway since the spring of 2019. The Education Pathway fits seamlessly with the Class Act Program at MN North College—Itasca Campus, and the newly formed K-6 Elementary Education program through the The College of St. Scholastica in Duluth. Through the Education Pathway, local students have the opportunity to begin preparing for their teaching career in local high schools and continuing and completing their degree while remaining in the area.
Anna hopes to continue to grow and strengthen the program in the coming years for the benefit of IASC students, schools and communities, “We are committed to growing our future teachers in our local communities!”
IASC NEXT Career Pathways Student Spotlight
Ryan Happy began his Education Career Pathway as a senior at the Grand Rapids High School in the Spring of 2019. A school counselor encouraged him to check out the Introduction to Teaching course as part of the IASC NEXT Education Career Pathway. As a high school senior, Ryan was able to go back to his old elementary school in Grand Rapids and complete his field experience. In Ryan’s words he “hasn’t looked back since”!
After graduating from high school, Ryan enrolled in the Class Act Program to continue his pursuit of an elementary teaching degree, and he smoothly transitioned into the program. Ryan is now a senior and looking forward to competing his degree from St. Scholastica on the MN North College—Itasca Campus.
Ryan says that his dream would be to find a teaching job in one of the IASC schools and said, “I couldn’t imagine going into a classroom next year without the teaching experiences I’ve been able to complete while in the Education Pathway. It is very important to be happy in your job, and this program has set me up for that.”