High School Students Explore Future Careers in Education at the Education Pathways Academy Student Showcase
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The Education Pathways Academy Student Showcase, held today at Buffalo State College, provided high school students in the Education Pathways Academy New Visions Program an exciting opportunity to present the educational fields they are passionate about pursuing. Each student showcased a project, representing their areas of interest within education. Family, friends, teachers, and community members walked through the event, engaging with the students as they shared their insights and ambitions.
The Education Pathways Academy New Visions program, designed to give students a thorough understanding of the education field, combines both theory-based learning and hands-on experiences. Students explore topics such as classroom and behavior management, lesson planning, social-emotional learning, and working with students with disabilities, among others. By doing so, they are empowered to discover which areas of education resonate with them the most.
“This program exists to fill a really, really important need. We need educators. There's a lot of people retiring, a lot of vacancies and not enough people to fill them,” said Anthony Lleras, instructor of the Education Pathways Academy. “If we care about the future of education, if we care about helping our children develop into thinking, caring, empathetic, and intelligent adults, then we have to do something about that. This program is one small step in meeting that need.”
One of the key elements of the program is its ability to transform students' perspectives. “I'm so proud of these kids who come in as students, with cursory ideas about managing a class,” said Lleras. “Within a couple of months, they begin to think like future educators. They're having deep reflection and profound thinking, they start evidencing and thinking like a teacher."
The program not only prepares students for a future in education but also provides them with 17 college credits—an opportunity that extends well beyond their high school years and represents a significant head start on their higher education journey.
The event highlighted the diverse paths available within education, as students explored career options beyond traditional classroom teaching. “We call it Education Pathways for a reason,” said Lleras “There’s so much more to education than just teaching in a classroom. My goal is to expose students to all the possibilities and see what resonates with them. It’s a discovery process, and I’m here to guide them on that journey."
As the event concluded, one thing was clear: the next generation of educators is well on its way, inspired by a passion for education and a deep commitment to shaping the future.
Lleras summed it up with pride speaking to his students: “I’m incredibly proud of the educators you’re becoming. Thank you for being my why.”
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