Ryanne Desjardins ’18: Education Resource Specialist

After graduating from Colby, I moved to Los Angeles in June 2018 to begin my two year commitment with Teach For America. For six weeks that summer, I took intensive courses in classroom management, socio-emotional learning and data driven instruction. Following that summer, I taught for special education for two years at a public and historically underfunded elementary school in South Central Los Angeles. Currently, I am a resource specialist at a high school in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles. My job entails direct instruction to students with IEPs and various learning needs, collaborating with general education teachers, and serving as a specialist for any student with diverse learning needs. In May of this year, I graduated from Loyola Marymount University and received my M.Ed in Urban Education concentrating in policy and administration. I am in a program this fall to clear my teaching credential in California, essentially providing my certification to teach anywhere in the US. 

While I pursued my human development major more directly following Colby, being an English major deepened my ability to analyze and successfully problem solve– two skills I use daily. Especially since the on-set of digital instruction and virtual learning, the critical thinking skills I acquired throughout my English studies at Colby prove irreplaceable and essential to my success as an educator. The tremendous support and high quality instruction I received from professors like Aaron Hanlon and Laurie Osborne refined and strengthened my ability to produce successful and convincing pieces of writing. With regards to my Master’s degree, these skills lead to a strong and comprehensive thesis. Remembering the skills they imparted on me, I studied and clearly articulated issues facing the neighborhood I taught in and delivered meaningful ideas for creating systemic change for students I served. As I continue my educational pursuits– aspiring to have my doctoral degree before my 30th birthday, I will push forward with a critical and questioning mindset of growth, intellectual curiosity and immense gratefulness for my Colby education.