May 5, 2026
Rotating from one table to another, more than 80 St. John’s University student teachers spent a fruitful evening at the annual Hartigan Forum, asking questions, gleaning wisdom, and drawing on the experience of representatives from 15 area schools and school districts.
Held April 27 in the D’Angelo Center, the forum is hosted by The School of Education. It connects student teachers with alumni, principals, district leaders, and education professionals from Catholic, public, and independent schools throughout the region. It is named in honor of Maureen A. Hartigan ’55ED, a devoted educator and longtime supporter of future teachers.
While networking is an essential part of the event, these motivated student teachers are offered a glimpse of life behind the desk. They are not merely looking for jobs. They are learning how schools think, what principals value, and how different educational settings define fit.
James D. Wolfinger, Ph.D., Dean, The School of Education, noted that students often imagine, as he did when starting his career, teaching in familiar places, but the forum exposes them to Catholic schools; public schools; New York City and Long Island schools; and schools across the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Queens.
“They want to help you see how great it is to work at different high schools and elementary schools all across the region,” he stressed. “You’re going to have the opportunity to learn a great deal about so many different opportunities you’re going to have.”
“There are so many schools out there with different values. Part of the interview process is the schools interviewing us, but we’re also interviewing the different schools as well,” adolescent education major Ryan Boswell observed. “It’s important to hear what their values are.”
“Practice makes perfect, especially with interviews,” stressed childhood education major Erin McCoy. “It’s really our first time in the real world, so it’s a great opportunity for us.”
Adolescent education major Katrina Diano stressed the forum “is a great way for student teachers who are still trying to get their name out there and gain more experience to make those connections. It’s important to see other districts and not limit yourself to the school you’ve been teaching or observing at.”
The event included a scholarship awarded to Joey Liu, a student in the childhood education and TESOL program. “You never know where you will end up,” she mused. “It’s important to understand how all the districts work in different areas.”
Questions fielded by administrators during the 15-minute sessions covered the entire gamut of the teaching experience, including the hiring process, what sets applicants apart, institutional culture, teaching philosophy, classroom protocols, and more.
Robert O’Keefe, Assistant Principal for Curriculum and Instruction at Chaminade High School, Mineola, NY, noted, “While we get to network with promising young teachers, I think everyone here is in it for something bigger—for the Catholic school and the mission of education. The more the experienced folks can pass down what they’ve learned—that spirit of true education—I think the more we can teach the human side, inspire people, and show them the people behind teaching, the better education will be in the future.”
He added, “Life isn’t like a narrow pathway right to a dream scenario. Whatever you can do to get some practical experience might open new opportunities, new doorways.”
Andrew Nasser ’07M.S.Ed., Assistant Principal of Pupil Personnel Services at The Bronx High School of Science, clearly enjoyed the opportunity to engage with groups of students whose shoes he was in nearly two decades ago. “St. John’s has been instrumental in my life, and anything that I can do for St. John’s students, faculty, administrators, and staff, I’ll be here in a heartbeat.”
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