Recent St. John’s University graduate Gary Wong ’06Ed, ’08GEd
says he is not finished receiving his education at St. John’s, “I
received my bachelor’s and master’s degrees from The School of
Education and plan to go back to get my doctorate.” Gary earned
his Master of Science in Teaching
English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) and is now a
second grade teacher. He feels the knowledge he’s gained from his
professors at St. John’s has prepared him to be a successful
educator, “Without the kind and caring faculty and staff at St.
John's, I would not be where I am today. They helped make my
life at St. John's more worthwhile, more enjoyable and most
importantly, helped me define and achieve my goal of becoming a
teacher.”
Gary believes his background in TESOL is essential to being an
effective elementary school teacher: “Although the degree teaches
you how to work with students who do not speak English as their
primary language, it certainly applies to all students no matter
what their primary language is. I feel that I am a better teacher
because I am able to look at a problem from both ends and find a
way to make it connect for a student that is having difficulties in
any subject, not just the English language.”
Gary spent his time at St. John’s involved in various
organizations like the
Kappa Delta Pi Education Honor Society and the
Education Society, a community service organization. His
involvement in these two organizations gave him the opportunity to
meet fellow education majors who shared common interests and
faculty members who had a vested interest in the success of their
students: “Once I joined these organizations, I liked knowing that
I had something besides classes to go to. As I became more involved
within the University, I was able to meet more faculty and
administrators within The School of Education, such as Richard
Sinatra, Ph.D. Dr. Sinatra ended up becoming such a huge
influence in my life and career.”
With the help of Dr. Sinatra, Gary was able to gain experience
working in a school setting long before he graduated from The
School of Education. From After-School Allstars to the Saturday
Experience College Academy, where he currently also works as an
Assistant Director, Gary has gained extensive experience in the
education field and believes he has St. John’s to thank:
“Throughout my experiences working with St. John’s education
programs, I have been able to foster and enhance my teaching
abilities. All of these experiences put together have made me into
a better teacher and person.”