Category Archives: Graduate Life

Welcome to the Spring 2021 Semester, Lurie College of Education Students!

Dear Lurie College Students —

We hope that your first days of class were a success and that you are looking forward to new opportunities and learning experiences during the semester ahead.  We know that taking courses remotely can be challenging and that many of you are also navigating added family responsibilities, work disruptions, and health concerns due to COVID. Our Lurie College community is here for you!

Please reach out to your instructors, academic advisors, and/or program coordinators if you have questions or concerns about your courses.  We also encourage you to connect with our dedicated team in the Lurie College Student Success Center for support and advice on how to access resources on campus.  If you are struggling, you aren’t alone.  Please contact us so that we can connect you with academic supports, counseling services, financial supports, or other resources to help you succeed.

The events of recent weeks have reminded us, once again, of the critical importance of the work that happens in our college.  The hatred, bigotry, nativism, violence, and white supremacy that were on full display during the capitol insurrection on January 6, clearly demonstrate the need for transformative educators, counselors, therapists, and school, college, and community leaders.  Thank you for your courageous decision to commit to academic fields and professional careers that will position you to be agents of change and move us toward a more just, inclusive, and equitable future.

In recent months, our faculty and staff have recommitted ourselves to advancing racial justice within our college.  You can view numerous examples of policy and program changes that we are committed to addressing during the 2020-21 academic year on our college’s Strategic Plan webpage.  We also recently created a webpage with a collection of Antiracism and Racial Justice Resources, which includes articles, podcasts, social media accounts, videos, and much more.

We hope you’ll join us at our upcoming engagement opportunities – such as our Conversation with Radical Monarchs’ Cofounder Anayvette Martinez, our Emancipatory Education Speaker Series, and more – to further advance this work.  We’ll also announce dates for our Deans’ Forums soon so that you can share your input, ideas, critiques, and questions with us directly.

A final word of advice in closing…  Pace yourself!  It promises to be a full semester with lots of time spent in online learning and activities.  Make sure that in the midst of your courses, field experiences, work, and family responsibilities you take time to take care of yourself.  Give yourself permission to turn off the computer and go outside.  Get sleep.  Find time to listen to music, have a good laugh, or just breathe.  We need you in this work for the long term, and that means we need you to take care of yourself.

With gratitude –

Heather Lattimer, Dean
heather.lattimer@sjsu.edu

Marcos Pizarro, Associate Dean

Lurie College Faculty Co-Publish Broadband Access Report

Shoutout to Lurie College faculty Luis Poza, Eduardo Muñoz-Muñoz, and Tammie Visintainer, who collaborated with SJSU faculty Ahoura Zandiatashbar, California Assemblymember Robert Rivas, and the Watsonville High School ECHO Leadership Academy to better understand the impact of known gaps in broadband internet access across California’s 30th Congressional District. Read the report below or via Google Drive.

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…

Represent Lurie College on the A.S. Academic Affairs Committee

Get connected with SJSU Associated Students while advocating on behalf of SJSU and Lurie College of Education students and developing your leadership skills as part of the A.S. Academic Affairs Committee!  Spring 2021 meetings will take place on February 3, February 17, March 3, March 17, April 7, April 21, and May 5 from 3-4:30pm.  To learn more and express your interest, complete this Google form.

SJSU A.S. Academic Affairs Committee

Assist with Early Childhood Research

SJSU Associated Students Child Development Center

Are you a current student interested in assisting with research related to child and adolescent development?
Each semester, ChAD Faculty have a variety of research projects underway. Student Research Assistants are hired by the department to provide faculty with support on their research projects while exposing students to different research methods and topics. Complete this Google form to tell us about your interests and to hear about upcoming opportunities.

Apply to Co-Host Emancipatory Education Now for Spring 2021

Emancipatory Education Now is a student-led initiative at the SJSU Lurie College of Education that examines what emancipatory education – the critical evaluation of the systems and structures of oppression that maintain the status quo in our educational institutions – looks like in today’s society and advocates for the expansion of emancipatory education research, policies, and practices!

Student co-hosts from across Lurie College’s academic programs will meet regularly throughout the spring semester to engage in dialogue about critical topics in education and share those thoughts out with the Lurie College, SJSU, and local community.  Co-hosts will be compensated hourly for their participation and receive a high-quality USB microphone.

All current SJSU Lurie College of Education students are eligible to apply.  Watch the video tutorial below for information about how to complete this Google form by Saturday, January 30, 2021 to apply to become a co-host.

Watch the Fall 2020 Emancipatory Education Now Series at sjsu.edu/education/emancipatory-education-now

ICYMI: Fall 2020 Learning Showcase Presentations

The SJSU Lurie College of Education Learning Showcase highlights our undergraduate, graduate, credential, and doctoral students’ while they’re on their journeys to becoming transformative educators, counselors, therapists, school and community leaders under our college’s four priority areas: community-engaged, culturally sustaining, holistic, and interdisciplinary.  Check out some of the presentations from our Department of Special Education graduate students, who developed lesson plans for second language learners with disabilities.

Lurie College Hardship Fund Requests

Lurie College has a limited amount of grant funds available to support its students who have experienced an unforeseen financial hardship that will prevent them from continuing their enrollment at Lurie College and SJSU. Awards are processed fall and spring semesters and advisors are available year-round. If you are a currently-enrolled Lurie College undergraduate, graduate, credential, or doctoral student who has experienced this type of hardship, please complete this brief Google form so that a Lurie College advisor can contact you.

SJSU Lurie College of Education Hardship Fund

ICYMI: Fall 2020 Learning Showcase Presentations

The SJSU Lurie College of Education Learning Showcase highlights our undergraduate, graduate, credential, and doctoral students’ while they’re on their journeys to becoming transformative educators, counselors, therapists, school and community leaders under our college’s four priority areas: community-engaged, culturally sustaining, holistic, and interdisciplinary.  Check out some of the presentations from our Department of Counselor Education graduate students, who developed workshops as part of the School-Family-Community Collaboration course. For the class project, students created a synchronous program that was presented on Zoom. In addition, they created asynchronous materials to complement their program.

 

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.

ICYMI: Fall 2020 Learning Showcase Presentations

The SJSU Lurie College of Education Learning Showcase highlights our undergraduate, graduate, credential, and doctoral students’ while they’re on their journeys to becoming transformative educators, counselors, therapists, school and community leaders under our college’s four priority areas: community-engaged, culturally sustaining, holistic, and interdisciplinary.  Check out some of the presentations from students in our Department of Communicative Disorders and Sciences.

The CD&S Journal Club supports our students efforts to publish research in their field. This session featured two panel discussions about the Journal Club experience, things learned, and advice to others. During the presentation of the panel discussions, attendees were able to chat with the CD&S Journal Club members.

By synthesizing their academic experiences from the semester, Alejandra Romo and Aminah Sheikh led a discussion of a language sample of a four year old child with a stutter, including the effects that the stutter has on her language development along with parent/caregiver cooperation.

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.

Call for a Doctoral Fellowship in the Ed.D. Educational Leadership Program at San José State University

The Ed.D. Educational Leadership Program at San José State University is seeking applications for a multi-year doctoral fellow.

With the generous support of Dr. Brad Porfilio, Director of the SJSU Ed.D. Educational Leadership Program and Dr. Heather Lattimer, Dean of the Connie L. Lurie College of Education, the SJSU Center for Collaborative Research Excellence in Education (CCREE) is seeking applications for a doctoral fellow committed to research that supports the educational needs of students in foster care and youth experiencing homelessness in California.

Dr. Brent Duckor, Director of SJSU’s CCREE says the goal of the multi-year fellowship is to engage in applied research that addresses and advances equitable outcomes for students in foster care and students experiencing homelessness from the K-12 population. He notes, “This fellowship will provide advanced training in quantitative and qualitative research and opportunities for engagement in education policy with a focus on moving research into spheres of professional training and practice.”

“Intersecting the needs of youth with a lens on race, class, and language, our doctoral fellow will work closely with a broad range of SJSU faculty from the fields of Social Work, School
Counseling, Teacher Education and Administrative Leadership” says Dr. Lorri Capizzi, Co-Principal Investigator of a new project sponsored by the Center for Closing the Opportunity Gap (CCOG).

Building bridges across traditional preparation and credential programs, the doctoral fellow will work in transdisciplinary projects that connect university experiences with local educational agency (LEA) needs, with a singular focus on children and teens who are experiencing homelessness and students in foster care, Dr. Capizzi emphasized.

The Ed.D. Educational Leadership Program at San José State University is the preeminent academic unit for preparing transdisciplinary leaders who are capable of engaging in research to address educational disparities. Working closely with core faculty members associated with the Ed.D. program, the doctoral fellow will have opportunities to engage in research, policy and practice aimed at ameliorating inequitable outcomes facing foster youth and students experiencing homelessness in California with a focus on intersecting K-12 populations.

Working with Ed.D. dissertation advisors, the doctoral fellow will gain exposure to think tanks, research and advocacy groups across the San Francisco/Bay Area, while also having opportunities to participate in local, state, and national conference venues. Publication of dissertation results related to the study of foster youth and students experiencing homelessness are expected for this fellowship.

Applications for this fellowship are due Monday, February 1, 2021. For more details about the fellowship and application, visit sjsu.edu/education/community/ccree

Message from Dean Heather Lattimer | December 21, 2020

Dear Lurie College of Education Students —

Congratulations!!!  You have made it through a remarkably challenging semester.  You are to be commended for your resilience, persistence, and creativity as you navigated the circuitous path of this semester with grace, empathy, and determination.
I hope that you are now able to turn off the computer, step away from the zoom screen, and take a much needed and well deserved break.  The stress that this time has brought is wearing on mind, body, and spirit.  Please give yourselves time to rest and recuperate during the winter break.  We need your passion and energy in the academic and career fields you have chosen to pursue… and therefore, we need you to take care of yourselves!!
If you are experiencing challenges, please know that we are here to support you.  Our Lurie College student success center is a great resource to help with questions about courses, finances, and university resources.  Counseling and Psychological Services provides counseling support and crisis intervention.  And our Lurie College hardship fund provides financial support for those experiencing unanticipated financial challenges.   You are not alone.  We believe in you and are here to support you.
For those who graduated on Friday — Congratulations!!  We are very proud of your success and excited to see you shine in your chosen fields!
For our continuing students — Enjoy a wonderful break!  We look forward to seeing you back in January!
Happy Holidays!
Heather

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 Faculty Featured For Student Support

Congratulations to Counselor Education Department faculty Kyoung Mi Choi, who was featured by Flipboard in their article “Supporting Students Wherever They Are In Their Journeys” for her curation of online resources and support of international and LGBTQ+ students.  Read the full article at http://bit.ly/2KvgEIN

SJSU Lurie College of Education Counselor Education Department Faculty Kyoung Mi Choi

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.

ICYMI: Lurie College Learning Showcase

Did you miss our Fall 2020 Learning Showcase? Watch the recording of the keynote remarks from Ana Benderas, Director of ELA and Humanities at Quetzal Education Consulting, below and watch the recordings of many of our students’ presentations at sjsu.edu/education/showcase.

Lurie College Student Seeking Research Participants

Counselor Education Department graduate student Briettny Curtner is seeking research participants for her thesis “Misogynoir – Undergraduate Experiences by Black Females.”  The purpose of the study is to provide further research on the impact of systemic racism and sexism on Black and African American women pursuing a bachelor’s degree at SJSU.  To learn more about participating, visit bit.ly/ma-research2020.

SJSU Lurie College of Education Counselor Education Department Briettny Curtner Research Participants

Attend our Fall 2020 Lurie College Learning Showcase

SJSU Lurie College of Education Learning Showcase

Join us on Friday, December 4, from 4-7pm to support students from across Lurie College as they present their research, fieldwork experiences, co-curricular experiences, and more at our semi-annual Learning Showcase! The event will begin with a keynote from Ana Benderas, Director of ELA and Humanities at Quetzal Education Consulting; include a range of student presentations and panels; and conclude with small group discussions and prizes. Learn more about each of the sessions and RSVP at sjsu.edu/education/showcase.

Remarks from Dean Heather Lattimer | November 25, 2020

Dear Lurie College Students —

As we enter into the Thanksgiving holiday, I want to take a moment to express my admiration and gratitude for each of you.

This semester has presented incredible challenges — a global pandemic, massive wildfires, a passionate movement for racial justice, and a contentious election. Throughout it all, you have persisted and found ways to thrive. You’ve demonstrated care and compassion for one another, offered creative solutions to problems, been resilient in navigating online courses and field placements, and championed changes that can make our college and our world more just, equitable, and inclusive. I am impressed and profoundly inspired by each you! Thank you for all that you contribute to our college and thank you for choosing to pursue academic and professional fields where your passion and commitment will have a transformative impact!

I hope that you are able to take time away from schoolwork in the coming days to rest, reflect, and enjoy time with family. This semester has been exhausting for everyone and a break is needed before we return for the final push. Please give yourself permission to take a break, turn off the computer, and put aside the “to do” lists. The break has been hard earned and is well deserved!

Wishing you a safe and healthy holiday!

With Gratitude — Heather

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.