Mariah Klair Castillo ’24 MA is a second-year special education teacher at Connecticut’s Bristol Central High School, but her journey to the classroom has been anything but straightforward. Teaching was always her dream, though the path she traveled took her through unexpected places and back to the core of who she is.

“As a kid, I was very shy,” Castillo says. “I was that student who stayed quiet and did my work. I faded into the background. My teachers were the ones who pushed me out of my comfort zone. They helped me come out of my shell and find confidence.”

It’s because of them that she decided to become a teacher, to be the kind of mentor who notices the quiet students and helps them find their voice.

“I want to be that person for my students — the one who sees them and helps them believe in themselves,” Castillo says.

Growing up, disability and special education were rarely discussed in Castillo’s family. Yet her connection to special education was closer than she realized: Her brother had been in special education classes growing up, though her parents never called it “special education.”

While I was still working in insurance, I’d be sneaking in searches about teacher programs. UConn kept coming up as one of the best. — Mariah Klair Castillo '24 MA

“They never used the words ‘special ed,’ ” Castillo says. “I didn’t really understand what my brother was going through until I got older.”

Today, Castillo’s brother is thriving. He graduated from UConn and is living independently, building a life on his terms. Watching him succeed despite his early challenges left a lasting impression on Castillo.

“Seeing him where he is now, it’s incredible,” she says. “It showed me that special education really can change someone’s entire future. That made me want to be part of that world.”

During college, Castillo volunteered with New York Cares and at her church’s District Children’s Worship Service, both of which were transformative, she says.

“Working with kids in church and with New York Cares made me realize how much I loved connecting with people and making an impact,” she says. “Planning activities, games, and events was so rewarding. I loved seeing kids light up.”

Yet after graduating college, Castillo didn’t go directly into teaching. Instead, she entered the insurance industry.

“Teaching had always been in my heart, but my college didn’t have an education program, so I just kind of fell into insurance,” she says. “It felt so transactional. I was talking to people thousands of miles away, but there was no real connection. I wanted work that mattered.”

Eventually, the pull toward teaching became too strong to ignore. “I was just sitting in my cubicle one day and thought, ‘Why am I still here?’ ” Castillo says.

Determined to follow her dream, she left the insurance industry and took a job as a paraprofessional at the Gengras Center, affiliated with the University of St. Joseph in West Hartford, Connecticut. It was her first immersion into the world of special education. Many students there weren’t academically strong, but they were determined, capable, and full of spirit.

“The students there were amazing,” Castillo says. “I learned that even though they might struggle academically, they still have so much potential and personality. Helping them gain life skills was incredibly fulfilling.”

As her commitment to teaching deepened, Castillo knew she needed to take the next step toward certification.

“While I was still working in insurance, I’d be sneaking in searches about teacher programs on my work computer,” she says. “UConn kept coming up as one of the best.”

She applied to the Neag School’s Teacher Certification Program for College Graduates, was accepted, and became a recipient of the Wallace S. Moreland Memorial Fund through the UConn Foundation, which eased the financial burden of graduate school.

“Getting that scholarship meant everything,” Castillo says. “It made it possible for me to follow my dream.”

The UConn program was rigorous and fast-paced, especially during that first summer semester in Hartford, she says, but it was also incredibly rewarding. Castillo bonded with her cohort — both special education and general education students — over shared experiences and long nights preparing for classes.

Today, as a teacher at Bristol Central, Castillo finds joy in the daily work of teaching. She currently co-teaches with another special education teacher who has been an invaluable mentor, helping her plan her classes and navigate the complexities of classroom management.

“My co-teacher has been like a big sister to me,” Castillo says. “She’s helped me so much with planning, with understanding how to handle tough situations, and with just surviving that first year.”

Beyond academics, Castillo strives to know her students as individuals.

“I love talking to my students about what shows they’re watching or what sports they play,” she says. “I want them to feel seen as people, not just as students sitting in my classroom.”

Castillo firmly believes teachers are crucial not just for delivering lessons, but for offering stability, encouragement, and a model for navigating the world.

“For some kids, school is the only place they feel safe or supported,” she says. “I want to be someone they can count on, even if it’s just for a small moment each day.”

As for her own future, Castillo is keeping her options open. She hopes to continue teaching for at least the next five years. Though she admires administrators, she’s not yet certain whether that’s her path. Part of her dreams of returning to research full-time because of how much she enjoyed that part of her studies.

“I love the idea of doing research and sharing it with others,” she says. “But for now, I’m focused on being the best teacher I can be — for my students and for the quiet kids who remind me so much of my younger self. Teaching is how I hope to make lives better, one student at a time. It’s where I’m meant to be.”

If you have a college degree and would like to explore the possibility of becoming a teacher in just 10 months, join an upcoming information session for the Neag School’s Teacher Certification Program for College Graduates. 

To hear more from Castillo, check out this video about her love of teaching.