More than 170 local high school students seeking to become the next generation of high-impact educators were urged to find their superpower during a passionate keynote address by Quinnipiac University Associate Provost for Faculty Aff­airs and Professor of Political Science Khalilah Brown-Dean at the second annual Increasing Educator Diversity Symposium.

The students, selected through the State Department of Education’s Educators Rising program, gathered at the North Haven campus for Brown-Dean’s presentation and a series of panel discussions chaired by various in-state dignitaries from the educational community. The discussion was centered around successful transitions from high school to higher education but the overarching message was about representation and breaking down barriers at a time when there is already an urgent demand for quality teachers.

Brown-Dean said she was honored to be in the presence of so many young people who had “made the decision that they want to have an impact.” It’s a misnomer to characterize kids as “future leaders,” Brown-Dean said, when in reality the state and the country “don’t have the luxury of waiting for you to be a future leader.”

“We need you right now,” she said.

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When Bekah Powers ’21, MAT ’22, made the decision to pursue her master’s degree in elementary education, Quinnipiac was the clear choice. With both of her older brothers having graduated from Quinnipiac, she was able to witness first-hand the power of earning a Quinnipiac degree.

“I felt connected to and supported by everyone at Quinnipiac, including all of the faculty," said Powers. “The small class sizes allowed me to make personal connections with not only my peers but also all of my professors.”

Finding her passion for teaching at a young age from teachers who inspired her, Powers wanted to follow in their footsteps and help students have a positive attitude toward education, she said.

Outside of her work, Powers has served as a peer mentor for students with autism and has done extensive service projects as part of the Dominican Republic Mission Team, a non-profit organization founded by her parents in 1990. In her fifth-grade classroom in Meriden, Connecticut, Powers has implemented many of the lessons she learned during her time at Quinnipiac.

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