Erin Preiss ’23 , ’24, a Special Education Teacher at Bardonia Elementary, was recently recognized by the Clarkstown Central School District through their “elevated from within” feature.
After graduating from St. Thomas Aquinas College, Erin became a teaching assistant in the SPIRIT program at Laurel Plains Elementary, an experience that cemented her desire to teach special education. One of Erin’s colleagues took the time to mentor her and she notes how she “fell in love with the program.” When a leave replacement position opened up at Bardonia, Erin applied and got the position. This year, she was then offered a position as a special education kindergarten teacher, a role the district says “she is settling into seamlessly.” Erin notes: “It’s amazing and I love being with the kids and fostering a sense of community in our classroom. It was surreal seeing some of my former teachers at the convocation. So many of them told me how proud they are of the person I’ve become. I’m really proud of myself too.”
Ever since she was a young student herself at Lakewood Elementary School, Erin knew that she was destined to be an educator. “My mom is a teacher and I always wanted to help her grade papers,” she recalls. “But I also had a lot of anxiety as a kid and I had amazing teachers who helped me through it. As I got older, I realized that I wanted to be an outlet for the kids who need a little bit more time or love or tough love on certain days. Because I was that kid once too.” Congratulations on all of your accomplishments in the Clarkstown Central School District and beyond, Erin!