Junior transfer student Natalia Casas knows firsthand the power of impactful teachers.
“College was never something that caught my eye until high school,” Casas said. “I had an advisor—Ms. (Jessica) Sanchez (at Chicago’s Muchin College Prep)—who was a Latina, and I really looked up to her because she was one of the first educators I had who looked like me and had a similar background as me.”
Another high school teacher, Rachel Hercule, encouraged Casas to take honors and Advanced Placement (AP) courses. And she made Casas consider college.
“She really saw that I was striving in my literature courses,” Casas said. “She made me dive deeper into myself and push myself.”
Not only did Casas follow Hercule’s advice, but by majoring in elementary education with an English as a Second Langue (ESL) endorsement at Illinois State University, Casas is striving to make her own profound impact on young people.
“I want to be vulnerable with my students and provide them with a source of representation, whether that be through culture or language.”
Natalia Casas
“Growing up, I didn’t really see myself represented in education,” Casas said. “Based on the lack of support I had in the school system when I was younger—I’d really love to give back to the students I teach in the future.”
Casas is one of four new Redbirds who are part of the first Teach Chicago Tomorrow (TCT) Pathways Program cohort. Through Illinois State’s partnership with Chicago Public Schools (CPS) and City Colleges of Chicago, Teach Chicago Tomorrow aims to create a diverse teacher pipeline program for, and with, CPS students.
Members of the cohort each earned an associate degree from City Colleges of Chicago last spring before transferring to Illinois State for their final two years. Casas had considered a career in immigration law, but an online advertisement for Teach Chicago Tomorrow made her consider teaching.
“Before hearing about this program, I didn’t know there were specialties in bilingual education or English as a second language,” Casas said. “I delved into what Illinois State offers, and they have those specific endorsements. So, that really piqued my interest.”
The youngest of five siblings, Casas is a first-generation college student. Casas said her family has been “very supportive” as she pursues her educational dream.
“I don’t think it’s just a win for me,” Casas said. “I think it’s a win for them as well.”
As the first in her family to attend college, Casas said she hopes to “pass the torch” to her younger cousins. “I want to show them that this is possible for us,” Casas said.
This school year, Casas will take College of Education courses while she engages in pre-student teaching clinical experiences. Next year, she will be fully immersed in student teaching.
Casas, who would love to teach second grade, said she will create a nurturing classroom space that embraces diversity and inclusion.
“I want to be vulnerable with my students and provide them with a source of representation, whether that be through culture or language,” Casas said.
She also expects to continue learning and growing as an educator—beyond graduation.
“I think we can learn a lot from our students,” Casas said. “Teaching doesn’t just go in one direction, from adult to child. It can also go from child to adult.”
As Casas embarks on the final two years of her college journey, she is thankful to be part of the TCT cohort at Illinois State, and she is looking forward to what the group of future educators can accomplish.
“We’ve learned a lot from each other,” Casas said. “We help each other ignite our ‘inner teachers.’”
Read about all of the students featured in our “Newest Redbirds” series at News.IllinoisState.edu.
