Wednesday, May 28, 2025 383

View all Fort Lewis College news

Whitney Duran knew she wanted to be a teacher from the moment she sat in that first-grade classroom in Dolores, Colorado. Most of her teachers let the high-achieving student work alone. But this teacher was different. She really saw her.

“I just had a teacher who showed an interest in me and noticed me,” recalled Duran, 26, who graduated from Fort Lewis College this spring with a degree in elementary education.

Born in Chinle, Arizona, Duran moved between many schools during her childhood. But this teacher wanted her tested for gifted programs and pushed Duran to be challenged more.

“That interest in me impacted my dreams at that point,” she said.

The path to that childhood dream would not be easy. Her parents wanted her to become a doctor or lawyer. Then a family tragedy struck and Duran took a break from school. She spent a couple years as a nanny for families with children with special needs.

“I enjoyed teaching them things they didn't know how to do, being there for them, watching them grow,” she said. “I decided I wanted to pursue my dream of teaching that I forgot I had.”

Now, Duran is one of four Fort Lewis College students honored at Colorado’s Future Educator Honor Roll celebration that took place on May 7 in Denver. The celebration recognizes the state's most promising teacher candidates each year during Teacher Appreciation Week. This year's honor roll recognized 84 students from Colorado's teacher preparation programs, including 50 from the state's TREP program that lets high school graduates earn college credits toward teaching degrees at no cost. The recognition comes at an important time as Colorado works to address teacher shortages while celebrating those entering the profession.

In her fourth-grade classroom at Ignacio Elementary, Duran has found her calling. She especially loves teaching Colorado history to her students, most of whom are Indigenous. As a member of the Navajo Nation (Diné), she brings perspectives often missing from textbooks.

“I’ve had a lot of great conversations with my class about this tough history between Colorado and Native people,” she said. “They always seem caring and open to hearing more. They add their own voices to it, talking about how it still affects them today.”

Brianna Sarracino, 23, shares a similar goal to serve Indigenous communities. Growing up in Fort Defiance, Arizona, also on the Navajo Nation, she saw the challenges facing reservation youth.

“As I was growing up on the reservation, there were a lot of things I had seen firsthand of kids dropping out of school at early ages, not finishing high school,” Sarracino said. “There’s a lot of alcohol and drug abuse on the reservation, and it’s a huge factor for a lot of these kids.”

Sarracino graduated from Fort Lewis College this spring and is pursuing early childhood education. Her inspiration grew while teaching her young niece and later tutoring preschoolers during her second year in college.

“I want to build a strong foundation for a lot of these kids on the reservation and give back to my community,” she said. “I want to inspire kids to love school and keep going with their education.”

Both students credit Fort Lewis College’s teacher education program with preparing them for the real world of teaching.

“Our program did a really good job preparing us for showing up for students, not just in school subjects, but emotionally,” Duran said. “Being aware of what they go through at school and at home, and how that impacts their learning. It’s a lot about thinking about them more than just as a student but as a full person.”

Chiara Cannella, associate dean and professor of Teacher Education, said she sees the four honorees as examples of Fort Lewis College's broad impacts across Colorado. The honored students also include Crystalyn Garcias and Bre Premschak.

“To have four students represented really shows FLC’s important role in the Southwest region, but also across the state,” Cannella said. 

Cannella added that Fort Lewis College’s flexible approach allows the program to respond quickly to what school districts need.

“We’re a small enough program that we’re pretty nimble,” she said. “We can respond to district needs when we hear them. We support them and find students who are good fits for their positions.”

Cannella explained that students gain extensive field experience early in their programs. They visit schools across tribal communities—like the Navajo Nation, Ute Mountain Ute, and Southern Ute—as well as rural districts like Silverton.

“We work hard to help students see their job as teachers as taking place in their community and in the bigger regional context,” Cannella said. “That way, they can identify where the best place is for them. They get to see themselves in a classroom and try out a wide range of skills before they’re responsible for their own classroom.”

As both educators prepare for their future, they show that teaching isn’t just a career. It’s a calling to serve their communities. Duran will enter her second year of teaching, while Sarracino waits for word on a kindergarten position on the Navajo Nation.

In classrooms from Ignacio to the Navajo Nation, FLC graduates are making sure that future students will have teachers who not only see them, but celebrate who they are. Just as that first-grade teacher in Dolores once did for a little girl who dreamed of becoming an educator.

“This job holds so much responsibility, and I’m excited to get to know as many students as I can,” Duran said.