San Miguel Experience

"The experiences working with the students and staff at the San Miguel schools were a potent reminder of why we are educators,” said Dr. Jeanette Mines, Dean of the College of Education. Dr. Mines and two other members of the College of Education took six students on an immersion experience to volunteer at the San Miguel Back of the Yards campus during Spring Break 2008.

Mines’ feelings about the experience were echoed by everyone who accompanied her. Along with Dr. Mines, Mr. Richard Clish, faculty member in Secondary Education and Ms. Joan Williams, Director of Advising and Certification Officer in the College of Education participated in the experience.

Students who participated were Dori Smith and Laura Krasny, both Special Education/Elementary Education majors; Michael Rutkowski and Ashley Bolt, both graduate students in Secondary Education; Joshua Jacobson, a History major and Nancy Elias a student in the Ed.D program.

“The students and the staff gave far more to us than we could possibly ever give to them,” Mines continued. “The staff is filled with the spirit and it is evident in their dedication to learning, their commitment to their students, their caring for every individual and their belief that all children can learn which is lived every minute of every day. The result is the San Miguel schools have students who care about learning, who work hard, and are open and welcoming to all."