With a focus on inclusive education, Jake Hession wants to make a positive impact on kids when they are in one of the most impressionable phases of their lives. Along with providing life lessons inside and outside of the classroom, he is intent on being a caring adult his students can trust.
The most gratifying aspect of Hession's experience at ̽̽ came during his student teaching internship at Milton High School where he found interaction with small groups of students to be particularly enjoyable. Hession recently accepted a position to begin his teaching career as special educator at the same school after he graduates.
"As a special education intern, I often helped students make up work when they are behind in classes," explains Hession. "It is very rewarding to see the pride they exhibit from finishing their work and improving their grade. I appreciate being the person to make a difference in their academic life, which often gets them to think more positively about themselves and their relationship with school."
Although Hession's mom is an elementary school teacher and a ̽̽ alumna, the thought of becoming an educator never entered his mind throughout childhood and during high school. He does, however, remember taking notice of teaching strategies in his middle school and high school classes, and then thinking about how he might have taught the class.
It wasn’t until after attending ̽̽ orientation before his first year that Hession realized he wanted to change his major and pursue a degree in education. Now he is on track to graduate in the spring as a major with a concentration in Social Studies and a minor in .
Hession remembers how his mom often hyped up ̽̽ throughout his childhood. “I took this with a grain of salt, but when I visited campus, I could feel something different about the school. It felt like I fit in immediately when I stepped on campus,” he recalls.
“I could not have asked for a better college community than . Professors are always willing to help you however they can, whether that is setting up office hours appointments, pausing class to explain topics of interest, or even just helping you out with personal problems. They always do a great job building group assignments and giving us the opportunity to work with different groups of people.”
Associate Professor Colby Kervick remembers meeting Hession during his first semester in college when he was enrolled in EDSP 005, a core course in the teacher education program focused on meeting the needs of children with disabilities in school and community settings.
"He immediately struck me as an inquisitive and reflective learner who was keenly interested in pursuing a pathway that would equip him with the tools necessary to be a highly effective teacher for all students," recalls Kervick. "This year as a dual certification student teacher in secondary education and special education, Jake is applying his learning into practice through a yearlong internship. He is a true model of an inclusive teacher who is dedicated to ensuring that all of the students he is working with can achieve their academic and social/emotional goals."
To help serve and improve his college community, he became a member of the CESS Student Advisory Board in the fall of 2019. “We are a board of students meeting bi-weekly with other professors, administration, and even the Dean to discuss current issues and our continued focus on ways we can better the college,” he explains.
Beyond his involvement with the college, Hession engaged with the campus community as member of the ̽̽ Club Cycling Team, as a member of the brand new ̽̽ Backcountry Ski Club, and a recent inductee into the History National Honors Society, Phi Alpha Theta.
At the recent CESS Honors and Awards ceremony, he received the Janet Bossange Award for Advocacy and Engagement in Secondary Education recognizing his commitment to inclusive education for all learners.
“I would love to put all the strategies of teaching the whole child and student-centered learning to become the educator my professors hoped to mold," says Hession. "Helping students learn the subject material is obviously important, but I chose to go into the field of education to provide much more than that for my students. I want to make a positive impact on their lives.”
