Salamata Barry ‘23 is a Teacher Education minor from Dorchester, MA. After arriving in the United States she struggled with her classes due to a language barrier. A math teacher helped her in class and after school teaching her not only math but English: “Whenever I got to her class all those nerves went away. I always left her room feeling content…Her class was my safe place.” This experience is what drove her to become a teacher. She wants to guide her students like this teacher did for her.

Salamata has accepted a job teaching middle school math at Roxbury Prep Common School in Boston, MA this fall. As a first generation college graduate she hopes to be a role model for her students, showing that they too can go to college and become successful. 

Salamata is proud to be the first person from her family to graduate from college and is excited to see what comes next. “If you put your mind into something and work really hard on it you can definitely achieve it.”

Hannah Conkin ‘23 is an Educational Studies minor from Seattle, WA. When asked why she decided to become an Education Studies minor she said she was drawn to the community-engaged learning component with the focus on connecting and building relationships within the Lewiston-Auburn community.  Her experiences in education courses as well as her interactions outside of the classroom have given her a “passion for understanding how we can reform our public education system.”

During her senior year at Bates Hannah participated in the Restorative Practice Action and Advisory Group (RPAAG) in the Lewiston Public Schools as part of her Education Capstone. Time spent with the group allowed her to “listen and understand the concerns of students, educators, parents, and academics” and allowed her to see the “triumphs and difficulties of district-wide school reform specific to LPS.”

After graduation Hannah plans to live in Lewiston and continue her work with RPAAG as a project manager for a youth-led program.

Jessica Amok ‘22 is an Educational Studies minor from Boise, ID. She came to Bates planning to pursue a minor in History but after taking Perspectives on Education she knew she wanted to be an Educational Studies minor. The course made her question, “What is education?” She has learned that education is what you make of it and that learning is beautiful.

When Jessica walked into her first field placement she was greeted by a little girl who looked up at her and said, “You look like me. Are you in college to be a teacher?” This interaction made her think about how important representation is for students of color in our schools. She wants to be able to support students who are still trying to figure out their places in the community through her teaching.

After Bates Jessica plans to become certified as an outdoor educator. She plans to attend graduate school in the future in order to become a physical therapist. Jessica hopes to continue building relationships with school administrators and support staff, working towards a goal of teaching outdoor education to elementary school students.

Rebekah Vaules ‘22 is a Teacher Education minor from Pittsford, NY. While taking Perspectives on Education, Becca realized that there was no other career she was interested in; she wanted to become a teacher and looked forward to student teaching during her senior year at Bates. Becca has studied French for ten years and is excited to be able to combine her love of the French language with her love of teaching.

After graduating from Bates, she hopes to teach French somewhere in the Northeast United States. She would like to have a classroom that is welcoming and encouraging, allowing students to feel comfortable in their learning environment and therefore more likely to succeed.