Miriam Necastro

1. What is your educational background and what positions have you held? Please include the current school district and grade/s.

I graduated from SRU in 2014 majoring in Secondary Education English and minoring in Theatre. In May I graduated from Clemson University with a Master of Education in Literacy. I currently teach 7th grade ELA at my alma mater, Brookfield Schools.  For the 23-24 school year I am moving to the high school to teach 11th and 12th grade English as well as AP.

2. Name one SRU experience, in general or specific to the field, that you will never forget and explain why.

Studying abroad in London during the spring 2013 semester! Not only was it a childhood dream fulfilled, but what could be better than living and studying across the pond with your best friends?! What also made it unforgettable was seeing Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, and the rest of the Royal family in person outside of Westminster Abbey. 

3. Name an SRU faculty that had a positive influence on you and explain why.

Dr. Danette Dimarco in the English Department had such a positive influence on me. Her class introduced me to the richness of World Literature, and how important having conversations and different perspectives are to literature and to education. I continually return to her teachings and wisdom in my own classroom. Another SRU faculty member, Dr. Oldakowski, better known as "T.O." had a positive influence on my teaching to look to utilize multimodal instructional practices and student led projects in the classroom, as well as the importance & relevance of Young Adult literature in today's classroom.  

4. What initially piqued your interest in pursuing a degree in education?

Many of my aunts and uncles were teachers, so that definitely inspired me to follow their footsteps. I also had some excellent, passionate teachers while in high school who led me down this path. 

5. What do you love most about teaching?

The bonds I am able to create with students through my teaching. Last year the first class of students I ever had were seniors and part of their "Class of 2022 Day" they delivered handwritten notes to teachers who had impacted them during their school years. The notes I received from those former students reminded me that I am making an impact in ways that I may not even know of. 

6. What makes a great teacher?

A person that is able to support their students in the classroom, and in life. A leader that is fair yet firm, available, real, kind, and is that of a lifelong learner. I think a great teacher also can laugh at themselves in front of their students- kids need to see that even though we are in this position we don't take ourselves too seriously. 

Madison (Mellor) Stambaugh

1. What is your educational background and what positions have you held? Please include the current school district and grade/s. 

I obtained my bachelor's degree in 2017 and dual majored in Early Childhood PK-4 and Special Education K-8. I then went on to pursue my Special Education 7-12 certification shortly after graduation because I fell in love with the Special Ed. field. For six years now, since the start of the 2017-2018 school year, I have been a 6th-8th grade Supplemental Emotional Support teacher at East Pennsboro Area School District located just outside Harrisburg, PA. I was also fortunate enough to be trained to own and be a handler of our middle school's therapy dog, Murphy. My job has had many highs and lows but has given me so much reward in being able to support my students emotionally and behaviorally through their entire middle school career. I then went on to obtain my master's degree in Special Education and graduated again in December 2021.


2. Name one SRU experience, in general or specific to the field, that you will never forget and explain why.

A personal SRU experience that I was grateful to have had was cheerleading. I was on Slippery Rock All Girl from 2012-2014 where we placed 3rd overall at 2014 UCA College Nationals at Disney World. I am so happy that I was involved in athletics and I made amazing, lifelong friends.


3. Name an SRU faculty that had a positive influence on you and explain why.

Dr. Lynch, who was my advisor and professor, impacted me very positively. There were times I struggled academically, and through the times that I wanted to give up, he always encouraged me to keep going and helped me find alternatives.


4. What initially piqued your interest in pursuing a degree in education?

I have always been drawn to children. Some have said I'm a "helper" or a "fixer" which makes sense as to how I ended up in my current job. Feeling like you made some sort of positive impact on a child has so much reward for me, and even more so when I build a caring and trusting relationship with them. 


5. What do you love most about teaching?

Seeing kids grow and mature, and most importantly overcome their personal struggles in the school setting in order to succeed. I also love the bond I get to share with my students. My caseload is small, and fortunately, that makes my job much more personal for me and them.


6. What makes a great teacher?

A great teacher is kind, understanding, and does what's best for kids. Teachers do not come "one-size-fits-all" and shouldn't be expected to do things all the same way. Teaching is what you make of it, so make it great enough for your students to thank you one day.

Nicole Pierce

1. What is your educational background and what positions have you held? Please include the current school district and grade/s.

I attended Slippery Rock University for my undergraduate degree in Early Childhood Education (PK-4) and Special Education (K-8). I eventually decided that I wanted to work with older kids and got my special education expansion so I could work with special education students grades 9-12. I have since gotten a masters degree from PennWest University in Educational Leadership and a Principal Certification. 

I currently work at McKeesport Area High School in McKeesport, PA as a 9-12 supplemental level special education teacher. I also teach 3 of our special education math classes. The position I am in allows for me to have the best of both worlds, I get to be a special education teacher and I get to teach classes as a general education teacher would, just with my special education students. 

I also taught at York County School Division in Virginia for one year after I graduated from SRU. I was a special education teacher and worked primarily with 3rd grade students. After that, I moved back to Pennsylvania and worked at Propel Charter Schools-McKeesport for 2 years. I was the 7th and 8th grade special education teacher throughout my time there.

2. Name one SRU experience, in general or specific to the field, that you will never forget and explain why.

An SRU experience that I will never forget is my student teaching experience, specifically the second half where I was in a special education placement. It truly opened my eyes to the special education world, and ultimately influenced my decision to pursue special education in my teaching career.

3. Name an SRU faculty that had a positive influence on you and explain why.

Dr. Bieniek had such a positive influence on me. He was one of my professors as well as my student teaching supervisor. In his classes he shared stories and offered real life advice as a special education teacher. I feel that I learned so much from his stories and listening to his advice on a multitude of things-teaching related or not. I still find myself utilizing his advice in my current position, even from nearly 5 years ago now. I cannot thank him enough for the positive influence he has had on me as a person and as an educator.

4. What initially piqued your interest in pursuing a degree in education?

I don’t recall a specific time where I said I want to be a teacher. Ever since I was a little kid, I knew I wanted to teach. I would play school with my friends and my brother as a child (of course I was always the teacher) and grew up knowing that was what I wanted to do with my life. I catered my high school experience to set me up to go to college for education.

5. What do you love most about teaching?

The thing I love most about teaching is my students. Building relationships and rapport with students is not only one of the most important aspects of teaching, but also my favorite part. If there is not a mutual respect between students and teachers it becomes difficult to create a learning environment where students can learn. I love making connections with students and offering a safe space/being a safe person for them to come to when they need.

6. What makes a great teacher?

I think there are a lot of things that make a great teacher. Patience always seems to be the first thing you hear when talking about characteristics of a teacher. I admit that patience is very important to be a great teacher, but in addition to that, flexibility and organization are also on my list. In addition, I believe that a positive attitude and showing up for your students day in and day out makes all the difference in the world. All students want is to know that you care about them. When you have achieved that, the sky is the limit. At the end of the day, all great teachers are in it for their students! 

Domenica Camarote (Manno)

1. What is your educational background and what positions have you held? Please include the current school district and grade/s.

-I graduated from SRU in 2018 (Bachelor’s in Early Childhood Education & Special Education) and in 2021 (Master’s in Special Education Supervision). After graduation, I was offered a substitute position as a Special Education Access Teacher at Quaker Valley Middle School. A few months later, I received my first contract position with Pittsburgh Public Schools as a 3rd Grade Reading Teacher. Later I moved to East Allegheny Junior Senior High School where I was the 7th Grade Special Education Teacher. Currently, I am a Learning Support Teacher in North Hills School District.

2. Name one SRU experience, in general or specific to the field, that you will never forget and explain why.

-My best SRU teaching experience was student teaching in Deer Lakes School District! I had two of the best cooperating teachers that both taught me so much about teaching that I still use! I still have a relationship with each of them today.  Both have been so supportive in my career and personal life!

3. Name an SRU faculty that had a positive influence on you and explain why.

-There are so many wonderful faculty members at SRU, so I can’t just pick one!

—The first is Dr. Michelle McCollin, who was not only my academic advisor, but my school mom, mentor, and friend. She made everyone feel so welcomed and loved. She taught me about advocacy, persistence, and self-worth. She never went a day without telling her students how proud she was. Her experience as an educator, administrator, and educational advocate is what made her class and her so fun & relatable. Her flexibility and kindness was truly unmatched.

—Next is Dr. Eric Bieniek, who I was so lucky to have for multiple classes during my time at SRU. He is one of the funniest, most supportive, and most relatable professors. He always connected what we were learning in class to his own experience, which was so beneficial. I know I can reach out if I’m struggling with something in my career or if I just need someone to tell me to “be great.” He even helped me with deciding on my Master’s program!

—Last, but certainly not least, is Dr. Jessica Hall-Wirth, who played such a huge role in the Best Buddies program at SRU. She was always there to give advice and suggestions to help make the program and the events we held a success. Her classes were always so engaging, and she made you feel like your voice mattered.

4. What initially piqued your interest in pursuing a degree in education?

-Growing up, I had some of the best teachers. Each one of them inspired me to go into education because of their kindness and support, as well as their passion and love for teaching.

5. What do you love most about teaching?

-I love the bonds that I’ve created with students throughout the years! I still see students from my student teaching experience and previous positions, and they make me feel like a celebrity just by entering the room. It’s little moments like that that help me realize I’ve made a difference. I also love the friendships I’ve made; I work with some of the most wonderful people, and I’m grateful that the relationships go beyond the classroom.

6. What makes a great teacher?

-Being a teacher is more than just teaching educational and foundational skills, such as math, reading, and writing. A teacher and the classroom need to be a child’s home away from home. A child should feel safe and comfortable with their teacher and the environment they have created. The best way to establish this type of environment is to know your students— their personalities, strengths, needs, interests, triggers, and barriers. You need to build a relationship with them and their families. As Rita Pierson said, “Kids don’t learn from people they don’t like.”