While I was still working in insurance, I\u2019d be sneaking in searches about teacher programs. UConn kept coming up as one of the best. — Mariah Klair Castillo '24 MA<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n \u201cThey never used the words \u2018special ed,\u2019 \u201d Castillo says. \u201cI didn\u2019t really understand what my brother was going through until I got older.\u201d<\/p>\n Today, Castillo\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n \u201cSeeing him where he is now, it\u2019s incredible,\u201d she says. \u201cIt showed me that special education really can change someone\u2019s entire future. That made me want to be part of that world.\u201d<\/p>\n During college, Castillo volunteered with New York Cares\u00a0and at her church\u2019s District Children\u2019s Worship Service, both of which were transformative, she says.<\/p>\n \u201cWorking with kids in church and with New York Cares\u00a0made me realize how much I loved connecting with people and making an impact,\u201d she says. \u201cPlanning activities, games, and events was so rewarding. I loved seeing kids light up.\u201d<\/p>\n Yet after graduating college, Castillo didn\u2019t go directly into teaching. Instead, she entered the insurance industry.<\/p>\n \u201cTeaching had always been in my heart, but my college didn\u2019t have an education program, so I just kind of fell into insurance,\u201d she says. \u201cIt felt so transactional. I was talking to people thousands of miles away, but there was no real connection. I wanted work that mattered.\u201d<\/p>\n Eventually, the pull toward teaching became too strong to ignore. \u201cI was just sitting in my cubicle one day and thought, \u2018Why am I still here?\u2019 \u201d Castillo says.<\/p>\n 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\u2019t academically strong, but they were determined, capable, and full of spirit.<\/p>\n \u201cThe students there were amazing,\u201d Castillo says. \u201cI learned that even though they might struggle academically, they still have so much potential and personality. Helping them gain life skills was incredibly fulfilling.\u201d<\/p>\n As her commitment to teaching deepened, Castillo knew she needed to take the next step toward certification.<\/p>\n \u201cWhile I was still working in insurance, I\u2019d be sneaking in searches about teacher programs on my work computer,\u201d she says. \u201cUConn kept coming up as one of the best.\u201d<\/p>\n She applied to the Neag School\u2019s Teacher Certification Program for College Graduates<\/a>, 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.<\/p>\n \u201cGetting that scholarship meant everything,\u201d Castillo says. \u201cIt made it possible for me to follow my dream.\u201d<\/p>\n 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 \u2014 both special education and general education students \u2014 over shared experiences and long nights preparing for classes.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n \u201cMy co-teacher has been like a big sister to me,\u201d Castillo says. \u201cShe\u2019s helped me so much with planning, with understanding how to handle tough situations, and with just surviving that first year.\u201d<\/p>\n Beyond academics, Castillo strives to know her students as individuals.<\/p>\n \u201cI love talking to my students about what shows they\u2019re watching or what sports they play,\u201d she says. \u201cI want them to feel seen as people, not just as students sitting in my classroom.\u201d<\/p>\n Castillo firmly believes teachers are crucial not just for delivering lessons, but for offering stability, encouragement, and a model for navigating the world.<\/p>\n \u201cFor some kids, school is the only place they feel safe or supported,\u201d she says. \u201cI want to be someone they can count on, even if it\u2019s just for a small moment each day.\u201d<\/p>\n 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\u2019s not yet certain whether that\u2019s her path. Part of her dreams of returning to research full-time because of how much she enjoyed that part of her studies.<\/p>\n \u201cI love the idea of doing research and sharing it with others,\u201d she says. \u201cBut for now, I\u2019m focused on being the best teacher I can be \u2014 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\u2019s where I\u2019m meant to be.\u201d<\/p>\n 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<\/a> for the Neag School\u2019s Teacher Certification Program for College Graduates.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n![\"Female](\"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Maria_Klai_Castillo_27_1500x1000-300x200.jpg\")