Category Archives: Alumni

Lurie College Set to Celebrate Spring 2021 Graduates

SJSU Lurie College of Education Graduation Celebration Spring 2021

The SJSU Lurie College of Education is looking forward to hosting a live graduation celebration to recognize our nearly 500 Spring 2021 graduates (and soon-to-be alumni)!  The Lurie College Graduation Celebration will take place online on Friday, May 28, at 4pm PDT and begin with a college-wide ceremony that will include remarks from Dean Heather Lattimer, Associate Dean Marcos Pizarro, and student speakers Janeth Canseco and Charline Tenorio, who are earning their Master’s Degrees from our Department of Counselor Education and Department of Communicative Disorders and Sciences, respectively.

I didn’t believe I would make it this far, be 20 years into my education, and be the first in my family to earn a master’s degree.  It’s something that I’m incredibly proud of, not only for myself but also for my family.  It’s also an incredible opportunity for me to be recognized as the first Counselor Education student to be selected as Lurie College’s student speaker.  That made me feel a sense of accomplishment.  In terms of how I feel about graduating – it’s very surreal.  It’s scary to think about what’s next, but I feel like if I try, I apply, and I don’t live with any regrets, then everything will work out. – Janeth Canseco, Counselor Education

Each Spring 2021 graduate will also be recognized during the college-wide ceremony.  Lurie College graduates, faculty, and staff have been invited to attend the live ceremony on Zoom, and family and friends are invited to watch the live ceremony on the Lurie College YouTube channel.

After the college-wide ceremony, each Lurie College department – Child & Adolescent Development, Communicative Disorders & Sciences, Counselor Education, Ed.D. Leadership, Special Education, and Teacher Education – is hosting an online reception to include remarks from faculty chairpersons, individualized slideshows, and socializing among graduates, faculty, and staff to close out the semester and calendar year.

San José State University as a whole is honoring and celebrating all Spring 2021 graduates by launching graduate recognition websites, which will go live on Friday, May 28, at 10am. Learn more on the SJSU Commencement website.

This has been the fastest two years of my life and I’ve enjoyed every second of it.  Before enrolling in my program, I knew generally that I wanted to be a speech therapist.  Now that I’ve completed the program, I know that I want to specialize in schools and work with children from diverse backgrounds.  It’s also an honor to serve as the Lurie College student speaker and represent our classmates who have such diverse backgrounds – some are parents, some are working while enrolled in school, some are switching careers, etc. – and have worked so hard to get to this moment. – Charline Tenorio, Communicative Disorders & Sciences

SJSU Lurie College of Education Communicative Disorders and Sciences Department Student Charline Tenorio

Charline Tenorio – MA, Department of Communicative Disorders & Sciences

Watch the Book Boat’s New Episode: Families

SJSU Lurie College of Education alumni Alejandra Valencia (MA/Multiple Subject Credential Program) and Jocelyn Rodriguez (MA/Multiple Subject Credential Program) are back with their next episode of season two of their podcast, The Book Boat! In this episode, Families, they discuss different family structures, challenging narrow gender roles, and more through the books My Papa is a Princess, My Mama is a Mechanic, and Stella Brings the Family.

Get connected to future episodes and content on YouTube, Anchor, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Instagram, or Facebook.

Lurie College Hosting 3rd Annual Free STEM+C Teacher Institute

Building upon the success of the previous two summers, Lurie College is planning to host its third annual free STEM+C Teacher Insitute from Monday, June 7 – Friday, July 23.  Our institute enables teacher candidates and current teachers to build their STEM+C content knowledge and earn a math or science foundational-level credential, which allows those who complete the institute to teach middle school math or science. It can be added to a multiple or single subject credential by successfully completing the methods class included in this summer program and passing the corresponding CSET subtest(s).

There is no cost to participants for the coursework, content seminars, or computer science workshop. Lurie College will also cover math or science CSET registration costs for SJSU students and alumni who successfully complete the summer program.  Visit sjsu.edu/education/community/stem-institute to listen to testimonials from the Summer 2020 Institute, learn more about the math pathway, science pathway, and computer science seminar, and apply by Monday, May 10, for priority consideration.

Nominate an SJSU Educator of Impact

In recognition of Teacher Appreciation Week, May 3-7, and our Lurie College Founder’s Day, May 4, we are requesting nominations for SJSU alumni who are teachers, counselors, therapists, school, or community leaders and have made a transformative difference in the lives of children, families, and communities for our second annual “Educators of Impact” campaign! Submit a nomination at bit.ly/3eFjy8n

SJSU Lurie College of Education Alumni Irene Castillon

Watch the Book Boat’s New Episode: Emotions with our Special Guest Veronica!

SJSU Lurie College of Education alumni Alejandra Valencia (MA/Multiple Subject Credential Program) and Jocelyn Rodriguez (MA/Multiple Subject Credential Program) are back with their next episode of season two of their podcast, The Book Boat! In this episode, Emotions with our Special Guest Veronica!, they discuss topics like mental health, anxiety, and making friends through the books Ruby Finds a Worry and Meesha Makes Friends with their guest and former classmate Veronica Minor.

Get connected to future episodes and content on YouTube, Anchor, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Instagram, or Facebook.

Watch the Book Boat’s New Episode: Earth Day!

SJSU Lurie College of Education alumni Alejandra Valencia (MA/Multiple Subject Credential Program) and Jocelyn Rodriguez (MA/Multiple Subject Credential Program) are back with their next episode of season two of their podcast, The Book Boat! In this episode, Earth Day!, they discuss helping children understand how they can have a positive impact on the planet through the books Old Enough to Save the Planet and We Are Water Protectors.

Get connected to future episodes and content on YouTube, Anchor, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Instagram, or Facebook.

Watch the Book Boat’s New Episode: Pop Culture Books!

SJSU Lurie College of Education alumni Alejandra Valencia (MA/Multiple Subject Credential Program) and Jocelyn Rodriguez (MA/Multiple Subject Credential Program) are back with their next episode of season two of their podcast, The Book Boat! In this episode, Pop culture books!, they discuss The Duchess and Guy: A Rescue-to-Royalty Puppy Love Story and The Office: A Day at Dunder Mifflin Elementary.

Get connected to future episodes and content on YouTube, Anchor, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Instagram, or Facebook.

Save the Date: Spring 2021 SJSU Lurie College Graduation Celebration

SJSU Lurie College of Education Graduation Celebration Spring 2021

We’re excited to recognize and celebrate our next class of SJSU Lurie College of Education alumni during our Spring 2021 Graduation Celebration, which will take place on Friday, May 28, at 4pm PDT!  Graduates will receive additional information via email regarding how to participate.  Family and friends of our graduates are invited to watch the ceremony live on our Lurie College YouTube channel at bit.ly/lurie-youtube.

Watch Episode 3 of Season 2 of the Book Boat

SJSU Lurie College of Education alumni Alejandra Valencia (MA/Multiple Subject Credential Program) and Jocelyn Rodriguez (MA/Multiple Subject Credential Program) are back with their second episode of season two of their podcast, The Book Boat! In this episode, Women’s History Month!, they discuss Herstory: 50 Women and Girls Who Shook Up the World and The ABCs of AOC: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez from A to Z.

Get connected to future episodes and content on YouTube, Anchor, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Instagram, or Facebook.

Strategic Plan Spotlight: Early Childhood Connections

At the SJSU Lurie College of Education, we prepare transformative educators, counselors, therapists, school and community leaders through an emancipatory approach across our teaching, scholarship, and service and with a focus on being community-engaged, culturally sustaining, interdisciplinary, and holistic.  Learn more about what this looks like in practice from Child & Adolescent Development faculty Maria Fusaro as she discusses our Early Childhood Institute and Early Childhood Connections initiative below.

SJSU Lurie College of Education Early Childhood Institute Emily Slusser Andrea Golloher Maria Fusaro

As a faculty member in ChAD (Child and Adolescent Development), I’m privileged to work with many dedicated students as part of their educational journey.  Students bring rich insights from their experiences in their own families and from work and volunteer experiences in their communities to my classes on infant/toddler development.

While classes are a critical part of the college experience, college is also a prime time to make personal and professional connections, broaden our horizons, dream bigger dreams, and persist through new struggles.  When I began my journey as a first-generation college student, I had optimistic but vague perspectives about what higher education was all about.  While I cannot fully appreciate what it means to be a college student in the era of COVID, I do recognize the value of having intentional opportunities for connection and dialogue, especially to recover some of the informal connection that we’ve lost to this virus.

In 2019, I worked with my colleagues Emily Slusser and Andrea Golloher, from ChAD and Special Education, to launch the Early Childhood Institute (ECI).  At its heart, ECI is a hub for all things early childhood on campus, including research, training, and advocacy.  We create opportunities for dialogue to better meet the needs of young children and their families in ways that connect research and practice.

As part of our work, and with the support of Lurie College Strategic Plan funding, ECI established a program called Early Childhood Connections (ECC). ECC focuses on building community and supporting the professional growth of BA and MA students and recent alumni across disciplines in pursuit of careers involving young children.  During each of our ongoing sessions, presenters from SJSU and ECI’s community partners are invited to lead discussions on a range of topics.  We’ve learned about the landscape for infant/toddler intervention in California, strategies for engaging with diverse families, and ways in which early childhood teachers (generalists) can work hand in hand with early childhood specialists. We are particularly proud that some of our presenters are SJSU alum, returning to share their wisdom with the next generation of early childhood professionals.

ECC only exists because of our participants and their voices are critical for shaping the program.  A huge shoutout goes to Thao Ngyuen (ChAD BA, 2021), who has served as our dedicated student coordinator throughout our first year of program design and implementation.  Our team, which also includes Isabel Vallejo and Donna Bee-Gates, developed the bones of the program, and participants have weighed in on our meeting themes and ways to stay connected outside of our planned meetings.  ECC is one part of each of their unique SJSU experiences, but it is one that we hope will carry on long into the future, as they continue their professional journey and stay connected to ECI along the way.

Watch Episode 2 of Season 2 of the Book Boat

SJSU Lurie College of Education alumni Alejandra Valencia (MA/Multiple Subject Credential Program) and Jocelyn Rodriguez (MA/Multiple Subject Credential Program) are back with their second episode of season two of their podcast, The Book Boat! In this episode, My Tiny Temper, they have a conversation with the My Tiny Temper authors, Christopher Fequiere and his son Oliver!

Get connected to future episodes and content on YouTube, Anchor, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Instagram, or Facebook.

Watch Episode 1 of Season 2 of the Book Boat

SJSU Lurie College of Education alumni Alejandra Valencia (MA/Multiple Subject Credential Program) and Jocelyn Rodriguez (MA/Multiple Subject Credential Program) have released the first episode of season two of their podcast, The Book Boat! In this episode, Welcome Back Here are Our Current Favorites!, they discuss The ABCs of Black History and What Do You Do With an Idea?

Get connected to future episodes and content on YouTube, Anchor, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Instagram, or Facebook.

Lurie College Student Featured in SJSU Washington Square Blog

This story was originally published on the SJSU Washington Square blog by John P. Deever.

San José State University graduate student Janeth Canseco and her two apartment roommates decided they better spend a little extra money for the better quality Wifi.

In the Connie L. Lurie College of Education, Canseco takes five classes and performs two internships, one where she counsels 45 high school students from Del Mar High School and the other where she assists in presentations and observes counselors at Hoover Middle School—meeting with them over the Internet. To pay the bills, she’s a teacher assistant at SJSU’s Associated Students Child Development Center (CDC).

Learning, working, and gazing up that career ladder, trying to choose a foothold—has it ever been harder to do than right now, during a pandemic?

For Canseco, ’19 Psychology, graduate school seemed a good path. She was dubious about it at first, she says. “My advisers and mentors saw potential in me and helped me to apply. Once I got in, it was still very surreal. I didn’t believe it was actually happening. I am a first generation student and the first from my family to attend graduate school.”

Continue Reading…

Listen to Episode 13 of the Book Boat Podcast

SJSU Lurie College of Education alumni Alejandra Valencia (MA/Multiple Subject Credential Program) and Jocelyn Rodriguez (MA/Multiple Subject Credential Program) have released the 13th episode of their podcast, The Book Boat! In this episode, Our First Guest!, they interview SJSU Alumni Erin Enguero (’16 Kinesiology, ’20 Education) to learn about her journey as an educator and discuss how to have conversations around various abilities through the book Just Ask! Be Different, Be Brave, Be You by Sonia Sotomayor.

Get connected to future episodes and content on YouTube, Anchor, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Instagram, or Facebook.

Listen to Episode 12 of the Book Boat Podcast

SJSU Lurie College of Education alumni Alejandra Valencia (MA/Multiple Subject Credential Program) and Jocelyn Rodriguez (MA/Multiple Subject Credential Program) have released the 12th episode of their podcast, The Book Boat! In this episode, Women in Science, they shine a spotlight on representation through the books Silent Spring by Rachel Carson, Rachel Carson and Her Book That Changed the World by Laurie Lawlor, Hidden Figures: The True Story of Four Black Women and the Space Race by Margot Lee Shetterly, The Doctor with an Eye for Eyes: The Story of Dr. Patricia Bath by Julia Finley Mosca, and Geraldine and the Most Spectacular Science Project by Sol Regwan.

Get connected to future episodes and content on YouTube, Anchor, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Instagram, or Facebook.

Patricia McKinney’s $1.8 Million Planned Gift Benefits Future Elementary Educators

SJSU Lurie College of Education Alumni Patricia McKinney

Patricia McKinney has established a scholarship for future elementary teachers. Photo courtesy of Priscilla Robertson.

San José State University is pleased to announce that it has received a $1.8 million gift commitment from Patricia McKinney, ’60 General Elementary Education, ‘64 MA Education. The gift will support students majoring in elementary education in the Connie L. Lurie College of Education.

“Ms. McKinney’s gift is significant for our students, our college, and our region,” said Heather Lattimer, dean of the Lurie College. “As our K-12 student population continues to become increasingly diverse, this gift will help our college attract dedicated, talented future teachers from diverse communities who are committed to making a transformative impact in the lives of children and families. Additionally, this award will reduce the cost of enrollment for many of our students and enable them to focus their time and energy on the success of their own K-12 students as they enter professions that don’t typically bring fortune or fame.”

Read the full article from Julia Halprin Jackson on the SJSU Newsroom website.

Listen to Episode 11 of the Book Boat Podcast

SJSU Lurie College of Education alumni Alejandra Valencia (MA/Multiple Subject Credential Program) and Jocelyn Rodriguez (MA/Multiple Subject Credential Program) have released the eleventh episode of their podcast, The Book Boat! In this episode, Surprise! Our first learning showcase!, they host a live episode during the Lurie College Learning Showcase and continue their discussion around the power of names through the book Your Name is a Song.

Get connected to future episodes and content on YouTube, Anchor, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Instagram, or Facebook.

Watch the Lurie College Fall 2020 Graduation Celebration

Our SJSU Lurie College of Education Graduation Celebration took place on Friday, December 18 – watch the recording from the live event above!

  • 14:35 – Video acknowledgment of Spring 2020 Lurie College graduates (alphabetized by last name) and remarks from Dean Heather Lattimer and Associate Dean Marcos Pizarro
  • 26:30 – Remarks from Lurie College Graduation Celebration Speaker, Jacqueline Lopez Rivas (BA, Child & Adolescent Development)
  • 36:14 – Slideshow of collages submitted by graduates (alphabetized by last name)

SJSU has also created a website to recognize all of the Spring 2020 graduates for the entire university. Visit the recognition webpage for Lurie College of Education Spring 2020 graduates.

 

Lurie College Set to Celebrate Fall 2020 Graduates

SJSU Lurie College of Education Fall 2020 Graduation Celebration

While the COVID-19 pandemic has continued to impact so many facets of society over the duration of 2020, that’s not stopping the Lurie College of Education at San José State University from organizing a live graduation celebration to recognize our more than 200 Fall 2020 graduates (and soon-to-be alumni)!

This year has presented our students, our college, and our communities with one challenge and hardship after another, from prioritizing our health and safety while simultaneously addressing educational inequities in response to COVID-19; to responding to acts of racial injustice and uprooting systemic racism; to surviving wildfires and dangerous air quality levels; and to navigating through a tumultuous election cycle.  Despite all of these challenges and hardships, I have been proud to witness our students, faculty, and staff persevere and support one another throughout this year while continuing to make progress towards their personal, academic, and professional hopes, dreams, and goals.  With that in mind, while we are unable to celebrate with our graduates in person at this time, it’s our priority to celebrate virtually with them to acknowledge their accomplishments and bring some closure to their academic experiences with us.  We look forward to welcoming our graduates back to campus and celebrating in person together when it is safe to do so. – Dean Heather Lattimer

The Lurie College Graduation Celebration will take place online on Friday, December 18, at 4pm PST and begin with a college-wide ceremony that will include remarks from Dean Heather Lattimer, Associate Dean Marcos Pizarro, and student speaker Jacqueline Lopez Rivas, who is graduating with a Bachelor’s Degree in Child and Adolescent Development.

I’m so grateful and appreciative to have this opportunity to represent my peers as the graduation speaker.  With everything that’s happened this year, it’s been challenging for us to find moments to celebrate.  For me personally, I had previously taken a break from school and practicing self care made a huge difference in my life and in my ability to return to school and graduate.  It takes hard work to heal because it’s not always easy to focus on the difficult things in our lives.  However, that’s where having and practicing healthy and safe outlets come in.  Having a support system, different meditation practices, and getting in touch with my creativity are all my personal examples.  I’ve seen so much resilience, perseverence, and commitment from my peers as well, so I’m looking forward to all of us having the opportunity to celebrate our graduation and end this year on a great note.  After we graduate, I hope that everyone continues to find joy, keep working towards their goals, and not be discouraged. – Jacqueline Lopez Rivas

Each Fall 2020 graduate will also be recognized during the college-wide ceremony.  Lurie College graduates, faculty, and staff have been invited to attend the live ceremony on Zoom, and family and friends are invited to watch the live ceremony on the Lurie College YouTube channel.

After the college-wide ceremony, each Lurie College department – Child & Adolescent Development, Communicative Disorders & Sciences, Counselor Education, Special Education, and Teacher Education – is hosting an online reception to include remarks from faculty chairpersons, individualized slideshows, and socializing among graduates, faculty, and staff to close out the semester and calendar year.

Since this semester’s experience is entirely digital, Lurie College has created some other digital items to add to the experience, such as:

San José State University as a whole is honoring and celebrating all Fall 2020 graduates by launching graduate recognition websites, which will go live on Friday, December 18, at 10am.  Learn more on the SJSU Commencement website.

For me, graduating also goes beyond my own personal meaning.  It carries great importance for my family, friends, community, and future generations, especially as someone who is Latinx, a woman, queer, and a first-generation college student entering the education profession.  Sadly, I also have personal contacts and know of SJSU students who will never have the chance to graduate because their lives were cut short, so to me this graduation is in honor of all of them and is an opportunity that I am not taking for granted. – Jacqueline Lopez Rivas

SJSU Lurie College of Education Graduation Celebration Jacqueline Lopez Rivas

Listen to Episode 10 of the Book Boat Podcast

SJSU Lurie College of Education alumni Alejandra Valencia (MA/Multiple Subject Credential Program) and Jocelyn Rodriguez (MA/Multiple Subject Credential Program) have released the tenth episode of their podcast, The Book Boat!  In this episode, Holidays in December, they discuss various ways to recognize and celebrate the many holidays at the end of year through the books Between Us and Abuela: A Family Story From the Border and Let’s Celebrate!: Special Days Around the World.

Get connected to future episodes and content on YouTube, Anchor, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Instagram, or Facebook.

Listen to Episode 9 of the Book Boat Podcast

SJSU Lurie College of Education alumni Alejandra Valencia (MA/Multiple Subject Credential Program) and Jocelyn Rodriguez (MA/Multiple Subject Credential Program) have released the ninth episode of their podcast, The Book Boat!  In this episode, Non-traditional Thanksgiving, they discuss various ways to recognize and celebrate the holiday through the books No Turkey for Thanksgiving and Gracias The Thanksgiving Turkey.

Get connected to future episodes and content on YouTube, Anchor, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Instagram, or Facebook.

Listen to Episode 8 of the Book Boat Podcast

SJSU Lurie College of Education alumni Alejandra Valencia (MA/Multiple Subject Credential Program) and Jocelyn Rodriguez (MA/Multiple Subject Credential Program) have released the eighth episode of their podcast, The Book Boat!  In this episode, Indigenous People’s Day, they discuss how to recognize and celebrate Native American cultures through the books Bowwow Powwow and Thunder Boy Jr.

Get connected to future episodes and content on YouTube, Anchor, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Instagram, or Facebook.

Lurie College Alumni Coordinates Parent Education Webinar Series

Parent Education Series Banner

Shoutout to Child and Adolescent Development alumni Charlene Margot, who has organized a series of webinars through the Parent Education Series, which is a leading provider of high-quality education for parents, students, educators, clinicians and community members. Founded in 2006, our organization has reached over 80,000 attendees on critical issues—mental health, substance use, social media, college admission, and more—that impact the health, safety, and well-being of children and teens. Upcoming webinars include:

Attend the upcoming webinars:

  • Fri., Nov. 6, 12pm | Having Courageous Conversations About Race and Systemic Racism | RSVP

  • Fri., Nov. 13, 12pm | The Self-Driven Child: The Science and Sense of Giving Your Kids More Control Over Their Lives | RSVP

  • Tue., Nov. 17, 7pm | A Healthy Approach to College Admissions | RSVP

  • Wed., Nov. 18, 5pm | Exploring Community College and Their Transfer Programs (Spanish language) | RSVP

  • Thu., Dec. 3, 12pm | Mission Be: Mindfulness and Self-Care Workshop for Parents and Caregivers

View all of the upcoming webinars at seq.org/STUDENTS–PARENTS/Parent-Resources/Parent-Education-Series/index.html

 

Lurie College Alumni Publishes Journal Article

Congratulations to recent Child and Adolescent Development alumni Melody Mann, whose research article “Understanding Child Noncompliance in the Early Care Setting” was published in the SJSU McNair Scholars Program Research Journal! Read the article at bit.ly/32gj4Ba

ABSTRACT

This study examines how teachers respond to children’s noncompliance in early care settings. This structured observational study will focus on the moment to moment interactions occurring within the preschool classroom between both the child and teacher. It is predicted that (1) teacher’s direct bids to children will promote greater instances of child compliance than indirect bids, and (2) teachers’ responsive language will promote greater instances of child compliance than restrictive language. The results of this study will contribute to existing knowledge about the nature of teacher child interactions in the early care settings.