League of Storytellers

Ravi Lamontagne: A Success Story

mcintyrek — Wed, 14 May 2025 01:14:20 +0000

Ravi Lamontagne: A Success Story

Tuesday, May 13, 2025

mcintyrek Tue, 05/13/2025 - 21:14

Written By Sammi McGiveron

Edited by Cadence Panol and Kathleen Atts

The League of Storytellers had the privilege to showcase the amazing work of Ravi Lamontagne, �ʹڲ��ַ’s very own CIT Senior Software Application Developer. On February 19th, the team got to sit down with Ravi to learn a bit more about the man who works on our campus’s website. In actuality, we learned of an inspiring story of a young man who took a leap of faith by immigrating to the United States from Saint Lucia.

Since then, he has built a continuously evolving life, growing in his professional career, family life, and personal well-being. Like the student body of �ʹڲ��ַ, many of his stepping stones have been within the SUNY System. Not only has he been working with �ʹڲ��ַ’s CIT department since 2018, but he also graduated from SUNY Albany with a master’s in Artificial Intelligence and Data Analytics. Before moving to New York, Ravi earned a degree in computer science in Cuba through the means of a scholarship from the Saint Lucian government. With a passion for computer programming but limited opportunities in Cuba and Saint Lucia, Mr. Lamontagne moved to Brooklyn in 2016 after receiving his green card. He snagged a job at �ʹڲ��ַ two years later. While working full time he decided he wanted to go back to school and obtain a master’s degree.

Ravi spoke with our team about his journey, explaining that the opportunity was made possible through the United University Professions (UUP) program. "They allow staff members to take at least one course per semester, fully funded. I decided to take advantage of that opportunity," he shared. Motivated by his father’s wise words, he sought more from life, leading him to earn his diploma in 2024.

During that four-year journey, Ravi also built a family. He married in 2020 and is now a proud father of two children, ages 3 years old and 9 months old. Balancing his career and family life, he emphasizes the importance of both hard work and proper rest. He strongly advocates for taking vacation time and maintaining ambition in the workplace. “Never get comfortable. Always strive for more,” he advises. Although there were many insights shared by Mr. Lamontagne, including perseverance and consistency, this final piece of advice he provided is one that is sure to be long lasting.

As Senior Software Application Developer, Ravi is responsible for working with the back end of our website and writing code. Ravi works alongside the Web Director in the Office of College Communications and Marketing, who oversees design and content. As Director of Web Strategy at �ʹڲ��ַ, Kristy Barkan leads the strategy, user experience, and design of the college's primary website and other high-value digital properties.

Video forthcoming

Videography by Cadence Panol, Eduardo Imbert, and Sammi McGiveron

Interview done by Alyssa Alayon

CIT's Ravi Lamontagne

Alexis Flint: Redefining Education Through Nonviolence

mcintyrek — Wed, 14 May 2025 00:48:21 +0000

Alexis Flint: Redefining Education Through Nonviolence

Tuesday, May 13, 2025

mcintyrek Tue, 05/13/2025 - 20:48

League of Storytellers News

Written by Sammi McGiveron

Edited by Eduardo Imbert

The League of Storytellers had the pleasure of meeting �ʹڲ��ַ sophomore Alexis Flint — a Philosophy major, McNair Scholar, president of the Philosophy Club, and mother. Alexis has embarked on a fascinating philosophy research journey, which began in Dr. Brian Barnett’s Writing 105 course, The Philosophy of Nonviolence. Sparked by the encouragement of Dr. Mills in the �ʹڲ��ַ Honors Program, she delved deeper into the complexities of nonviolent philosophy. With great ambition, Alexis developed a unique concept she calls nonviolence pedagogy, which she describes as “a promotion of love and equality and respect for everybody.” She elaborates: “It’s a pedagogical approach that centers the students and the equality of epistemic knowledge. Epistemic knowledge is the theory of knowledge—so being aware of how information guides thinking and behavior is kind of a central point here.”

In February 2025, Alexis had the remarkable opportunity to present her ideas and findings at the American Philosophical Association’s national conference. Held virtually for the first time, the format came with a shared learning curve that helped ease some of the nerves Alexis might have otherwise felt. Professors and graduate students alike were astonished at the sheer fact that Ms. Flint was a sophomore. How she presented and the depth of insight gave the impression of someone far more experienced, as that was evident throughout the interview. That sense of maturity may partly be attributed to her role as a mother to a beautifully spunky two-year-old daughter. Alexis’s identity as a young mom deeply shaped who she is, both personally and academically, and has even played a significant role in her research process.

The heart of Alexis’s belief is that education must be responsive and adaptable to the diverse needs of students. She asserts, “Professors should be taking pedagogical steps that support students where they're at… every class would be differently taught based on the needs of students in the class.” As both a student and a mother, she brings lived experience to this argument, emphasizing the importance of flexibility and empathy in higher education. “There’s a lot of pressure,” she shared, “not just from trying to do well in school and as a parent, but also from the abnormality of having a child on campus—like bringing them into class or managing responsibilities both at home and in academic spaces.” Fortunately, Alexis has found a strong sense of support and community within the halls of �ʹڲ��ַ. She exclaimed that her research aligns with the supportive and welcoming environment her peers and professors present her.

Alexis’s research, grounded in both philosophical context and personal experience, offers a compelling call to reimagine educational spaces through a lens of equity, empathy, and nonviolence. Looking ahead, she aspires to become a philosophy professor providing the flexible classroom experience she advocates for. As Alexis continues to grow personally, she’ll build her foundation of philosophy research, resulting in academic growth fueled by deep passion and achieved through hard work.

Video forthcoming

Videography: Alyssa Alayon, Eduardo Imbert, Maria Frontera, Sammi McGiveron

Interview done by Cadence Panol

Alexis Flint '27

Implementation of the New Special Education Program

mcintyrek — Fri, 02 May 2025 15:40:21 +0000

Implementation of the New Special Education Program

Friday, May 2, 2025

mcintyrek Fri, 05/02/2025 - 11:40

League of Storytellers News

Written by Maria Frontera, 2025

Edited by Alyssa Alayon, 2027

Photography by Sammi McGiveron, 2027

In alignment with the New York State Department of Education and Standards for teaching, �ʹڲ��ַ has developed a new program in which students will be eligible for certification PreK through 12th grade in Special Education. While all institutions in New York State with schools of education are required to transition to this new certification, Dr. Salmon and Dr. Urso have gone a step further by enhancing the program. Through the Ella Cline Shear School of Education at �ʹڲ��ַ, incoming students can now elect to be a part of the new dual certification program which is in alignment with the changing NYS requirements, and includes the additional bonus of childhood 1-6 general education certification.

Dr. Salmon and Dr. Annemarie Urso display the infectious positive energy needed to work with students. �ʹڲ��ַ, April 16th, 2025 Photo by Sammi McGiveron

We spoke with Dr. Susan Salmon and Dr. Annmarie Urso regarding their contributions to this new program. Both Dr. Salmon and Dr. Urso have been at �ʹڲ��ַ for over 10 years, working within the Ella Cline Shear School of Education, specifically teaching courses for Special Education and Childhood Education majors. Although their journeys to �ʹڲ��ַ differ, both are deeply committed to their extensive teaching careers and share a passion for understanding the unique demands of classrooms serving students with special needs. Dr. Salmon explained that, “when you think about teaching special education, it's like a puzzle. You know that you have to put the pieces together, but for each kid, you're going to put them together in just a little bit different way.” This mindset set the foundation for developing the new Special Education program at �ʹڲ��ַ. Dr. Salmon’s hope for this program is that “new classes help our students to really think about working with individuals and what they can do for individuals.” Every special education student has different needs both in and outside the classroom. Dr. Urso explained, “We can teach skills, but if you don't have the passion for teaching and the love of children, it's going to be really, really difficult.” The need for passionate students with comprehensive backgrounds in working with children of all ages sets the foundation for the requirements of the new program.

Ella Cline Shear School of Education received the news from New York State regarding the change in certification in September of 2022. From then on, faculty and staff at �ʹڲ��ַ have been working to organize all of the pieces so that students entering in spring 2024 were able to begin this new major. Additionally, there was a heavy push for current students in the original special education program, or in childhood education grades 1-6 to switch into the new program. The overarching goals aim to meet the requirements presented by New York State as well as make students more marketable for future career opportunities. There was a lot of heavy lifting involved which included countless meetings, spreadsheets, and emails. The process of creating a new education major requires communication between all departments on campus, to ensure there are no scheduling hiccups for students. Furthermore, developing a certification that covers all grade levels requires the combination of a variety of standards. Dr. Salmon and Dr. Urso worked to develop a standards map aligned with course assessments and key assignments for �ʹڲ��ַ courses. In this way, they were able to address several sets of standards that students should master, and assess for that mastery through assignments in various contexts at �ʹڲ��ַ.

This new program is revolutionary due to the combination of requirements in a meticulous way that allows for a dual-certification within one major. Not only does this give students a well rounded education at �ʹڲ��ַ with field experience as early as sophomore year, it also drastically increases student marketability within the workplace. Entering a district with a special education certification in PreK through 12th grade allows you to help students across an entire district. You have the ability to be a lead classroom teacher in a general education setting, teach a resource room, provide support as a consultant teacher by pushing into classrooms, or work within a self-contained setting, among other roles. Additionally, the combination of both special education and childhood education in this major aims to address the shortage of Special Ed teachers in the state.

Dr. Annemarie Urso passionately discusses her background in education �ʹڲ��ַ, April 16th, 2025 photo by Sammi McGiveron

Dr. Urso commented that her motivation for teaching in higher education is to “train teachers to be better than I was by providing candidates with the tools, skill, and knowledge they need to be effective teachers of children with special needs.” This ideal was at the forefront of developing the courses and block scheduling used for the new program. Dr. Urso explained that they were thoughtful in designing the courses so that students could gain experience with a range of individuals. The program also includes 150 hours of field experience in a variety of classrooms, allowing students to work with diverse populations before student teaching in their senior year. Some of the class requirements include a low-incidence disabilities course and a high-incidence methods course. The goal of the block scheduling for this major was to “strategically place the courses so that the students could apply that information in a seamless way across all the classes,” as Dr. Urso explained. Since the certification covers such a broad range of students and ages, it is important to have a complex background of knowledge relevant to each kind of student you may encounter in the classroom.

Unlike previous education majors at �ʹڲ��ַ, this program only has one concentration, recognized as “liberal arts.” Normally, students would be required to complete a set number of credits in one of 16 available concentrations to meet their requirements. For the new program, students are required to take two courses in Math, two in Science, two in English, and two in History. As Dr. Urso explained, “special educators are not, by nature, deep content specialists. What they specialize in is methods to accommodate content, remove barriers to access, how different disabilities may impact behavior, social emotional learning, and how students approach education and academic learning.” This is where the crossover comes into play with the childhood education requirements. Those few liberal arts courses prepare �ʹڲ��ַ students with foundational knowledge for both general and special education classrooms. However, the course load prioritizes a variety of special education-focused classes that allow teacher candidates to deeply understand the students they will have in their classrooms and how to meet their individual needs.

In terms of student teaching placements, students will have more opportunities to choose their desired path based on their experiences within the first 3 years in the program. Students will be assigned a placement within childhood general education grades 1-6, but they will have the choice of what grades they would prefer to student teach in for the special education placement based on their earlier field experiences. Beyond the scope of �ʹڲ��ַ, the new program better prepares students to take their Teaching Certification Exams as one of the exams involves Special Education PreK - 12th grade which students did not previously have experience in.

Both Dr. Salmon and Dr. Urso, along with many other members of the School of Education, have dedicated countless hours and effort to the development of this program. The overall goal is to better prepare prospective teacher candidates for the workplace and equip them with all the skills they may need in the classroom. In wrapping up, we discussed the ongoing need for passionate students to continue entering the field of education. The faculty within the School of Education are excited to welcome new students into this program and to help nurture their skills and passion for teaching. The implementation of the new Special Education program and the accompaniment of the childhood certification is a demonstration of �ʹڲ��ַ professors dedication to their students and community. The increased knowledge, practice, and experience put forth by this program not only aims to make students more marketable, but it also ensures that students gain the skills necessary to take on a career in education. Teachers play a huge role in building future generations and societies; this program is one piece of the bigger puzzle in preparing educators to give their students all of the tools they need to be successful and positively contribute to these goals.

Storyteller Maria Fronetra interviews Dr. Susan Salmon and Dr. Annemarie Urso of �ʹڲ��ַ’s Special Education Department. �ʹڲ��ַ, April 16th, 2025 Photo by Storyteller Sammi McGiveron

�ʹڲ��ַ Professors Highlight Redlining in Rochester School District

barkan — Mon, 31 Mar 2025 19:29:05 +0000

�ʹڲ��ַ Professors Highlight Redlining in Rochester School District

Monday, March 31, 2025

barkan Mon, 03/31/2025 - 15:29

League of Storytellers News

Written By Maria Frontera
Edited by Alyssa Alayon
Photography by Sammi McGiveron

�ʹڲ��ַ recently recognized the success of Dr. James Oigara and Dr. Julie Troman in hosting a Redlining Workshop alongside Coordinated Care Services Inc. (CCSI) to prepare Elementary Education majors for field placements within Rochester City Schools.

Dr. James Oigara and Dr. Julie Troman are both professors within the Ella Cline Shear School of Education at �ʹڲ��ַ. They each teach sections of CURR 317: Social Studies and Curriculum Integration course, which is required for Early Childhood with Childhood Education majors, specifically those with a concentration in Social Studies. Alongside CCSI, they hosted a workshop focused on Redlining in Rochester, NY on February 21, 2025. Students from CURR 317 were required to attend, and the presence of �ʹڲ��ַ students, faculty and staff interested in learning more about redlining was encouraged.

CCSI is a local organization that focuses on innovative solutions in human service delivery. Their mission: “to support and empower students, teachers, and communities with the tools to engage with and own their local history of civil rights through inquiry, equity, and civic action.” CCSI prepared an interactive powerpoint, as well as handouts for this workshop entitled: “Local History Matters: Teaching the Impacts of Racism, Resistance and Advocacy in Western, NY.” Activities for this workshop included primary sources, as well as personal narratives from individuals who lived during periods of redlining in Rochester, NY. Facilitated discussion as well as informational packets aimed to pick apart socioeconomic disparities that still exist today as a result of local racism.

Ella Cline Shear school of Education assistant director coordinator of field experiences, Dr. Julie Troman, engages with presentation done by Coordinated Care Services Inc., �ʹڲ��ַ, February 21st, 2025, Sammi McGiveron.

The pertinent issue of redlining in Rochester, NY had significant impacts within communities and school systems that can still be seen today. With �ʹڲ��ַ students fulfilling education placements within the urban areas of Rochester, Dr. Oigara communicated the goal of this workshop as planning “to help teacher candidates [learn] about the history of redlining in Rochester city and how it impacts communities today” as well as “help participants to become better future teachers, especially teaching in city schools.” Throughout the two hour interactive workshop, students were asked to look at maps and discuss with peers the implications of the actions displayed in the figures. Dr. Oigara explained that the structure of this workshop aimed to “help teacher candidates understand redlining as a systematic practice that disadvantaged the blacks and other minorities, especially being denied financial services, such as loans or mortgages. This explains the differences in level of education or school resources in city schools compared to suburbs”.

During the seminar, we spoke with Julie Troman who communicated that the workshop “is really related to the work we're doing in the classes, particularly in teaching social studies to elementary students… Through this program, we integrate student teaching while also raising awareness of the intersection between teaching social studies to young children and some of the history [of] our own community”. When asked about her prior experience with the topic of redlining, Dr. Troman responded, “I've read some books and I've seen some speakers talk about it. I think most people think about segregation as something that happened long ago in the past, often associating it with Jim Crow. However, there are still very real instances of racial segregation situations happening. So I think it's really relevant for our candidates to see that because a lot of them aren’t from the area”. With a primary role in organizing and scheduling students’ education placements, Dr. Troman tries to “[make] sure they have rural, suburban, and urban experiences”. She emphasized the importance of this workshop in preparing students for experiences within Rochester City Schools.

Dr. Troman also mentioned that “most people are most comfortable in the type of school they grew up in. They become an expert in the setting they went to school in. They tend to imagine themselves teaching in a similar environment and some may return to their hometowns to teach, others will discover whole new perspectives, whole new worlds.” During the workshop, she specifically noted that “it's also really important that we bring awareness to [the fact that] their students in their classrooms are different from themselves. And that they're thinking about that when they're doing their planning”. Teacher candidates were provided with tools in this workshop to use in their future classrooms that related specifically to the teaching of social studies content, as well as general tools for developing a strong classroom community.

Coordinated Care Services Inc representative interact with students during open dialogue, �ʹڲ��ַ, February 21st, 2025, Sammi McGiveron.

In between workshop activities, we talked to a few students regarding their thoughts on the topic of redlining and its significance in schools. One student explained that this workshop was a requirement for the course, “but then when I was here I was like oh my gosh this is really relevant to what I want to be doing later.. I think this is still relevant, especially because I'm a minority. So I need to know who I'm gonna be teaching, and there's a big education gap that we need to work to close”. Another student explained that “[The workshop] was required for a class but now being here l have seen how important it is because we're placed in the Rochester school district. So we're learning a lot about the demographics of our students and then I'm also from the Rochester area, so it gives me more knowledge of where I'm from.”

Following the workshop, we asked Dr. Oigara to explain how this workshop will enable teacher candidates to be successful within future placements. He explained that this experience will “help candidates develop equity-focused teaching practices that starts with recognizing that not all students come to the classroom with the same advantages. Some may face barriers, such as socioeconomic challenges, literacy skills or learning disabilities. As future teachers they will need to be aware of these disparities and adapt their teaching methods accordingly. The workshop provided the opportunity for the candidates to have the knowledge they need to be successful in the classroom.”

The success of this workshop lies in the knowledge gained by students which is applicable in both �ʹڲ��ַ field placements, as well as future classrooms. The dedication of Dr. Oigara, Dr. Troman, CCSI, and �ʹڲ��ַ students in understanding redlining in Rochester, NY, and its lasting impact on the community is admirable. This workshop provided teacher candidates with the tools to understand their student demographics, develop instruction that identifies the history of local racism and how these actions still affect schools today, and lastly, create a strong sense of community amongst students in their future classrooms.

Ella Cline Shear school of Education professor, Dr. James Oigara, oversees a redlining workshop hosted by Coordinated Care Services Inc. �ʹڲ��ַ, February 21st, 2025 Sammi McGiveron.

League of Storytellers

Ravi Lamontagne: A Success Story

Alexis Flint: Redefining Education Through Nonviolence

Implementation of the New Special Education Program

�ʹڲ�����ַ Professors Highlight Redlining in Rochester School District

�ʹڲ��ַ Professors Highlight Redlining in Rochester School District