News Release

Teacher TRAC Students Tell Their Story
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For Immediate Release: December 18, 2001

NORWALK, CALIF – A semester has passed since the first Teacher TRAC class graduated form Cerritos College and made the transition to California State University, Long Beach (CSULB). It has been an exciting experience, but also a big step for the twelve students and a step into the unknown.

Two years ago, Cerritos College began a partnership with CSULB that launched the Cerritos College Teacher TRaining ACademy (Teacher TRAC). Teacher TRAC gives prospective K-8 teachers the opportunity to complete their bachelor’s degree and multi-subject teaching credential in four calendar years.

Teacher TRAC students Marilu Meza (left) and Ingrid Cherrington (right) tell of their experience at CSULB Ingrid Cherrington and Marilu Meza were part of the first graduating class of the College’s program that moved on to CSULB to continue their education. Their experiences have been truly amazing. In an interview both students stated that the transition to CSULB, which at first was intimidating, went very smooth.

"All twelve of us were surprised because the transition went so well," stated Meza. "We feared what the staff-student relationship would be like, but they had a special room for the TRAC students at orientation and walked us through everything we had to know."

Both students feel that CSULB offers them a lot of opportunities. With a program that takes so much hard work and time commitment the twelve students grew very close together. On the CSULB campus the College’s graduates are known as the "Cerritos Group."

"All of us are here. I think it is the group that makes the difference. We all have the same experiences and opportunities," says Cherrington. "Teamwork is what is required. All the students are going through the same thing, why ignore that when you can take advantage of it," Meza adds. "We work together and hold each other accountable."

The Cerritos students have all their classes together with five Integrated Teacher Education Program (ITEP) students at CSULB. It has been easy to get to know the other students and still feel ‘at home.’ CSULB professors are helpful, treating the Cerritos Group as if they had been in the program all along.

"We really appreciate the philosophy our professors at Cerritos College had on treating us as professionals," says Cherrington in reflection on her experience, "they really prepared us for reality and presented teaching as it really is." The professors were experienced and passionate about their teaching; the TRAC students continue to praise Cerritos faculty’s dedication and the time they invested.

The students also enjoyed the variety of the work – case studies, portfolios, and hands on experience. It helped to make them more aware of the areas each had to work on, and taught them to work as a team.

"The professors know you are committed and work a lot with each individual one on one," says Meza of her instructors at Cerritos College, "that same feeling has carried over to CSULB."

Cherrington is planning to become a 2^nd or 3^rd grade teacher with an emphasis on language and literature. She is passionate about those grade levels because the children are at an age where they can strike up conversations, like hugs and a sense of warmth and security. "They are not babies anymore, you can watch them mature and develop," says Cherrington. Ultimately she would like to pursue her Ph.D., write a book and become an administrator.

Meza is interested in teaching math at the middle school level - 4^th grade and higher. "Teacher TRAC is really trying to prepare students, and helps us get a better idea of where we want to go," says Meza. In the future she is hoping to enter the field of junior high counseling, where students are more at risk.

"We hope that the future Teacher TRAC classes at Cerritos College will have the same experience as we did," says Meza. "We just want to thank the program and everyone that works with the Teacher TRAC students and supports the program. Our instructors are giving so much, we hope the other students will take advantage of it."

For more information on the Teacher TRAC program, please contact the Teacher TRAC Center at 562.860.2451, ext. 2212 or visit the website at http://www.teachertrac.com/.

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