Evan Perry ’21 says he “stumbled upon education” as a career because of his first job at Berry — classroom assistant at Berry College Elementary and Middle School (BCEMS), where education majors observe and practice teaching K–8 learners in an on-campus lab environment. “The people around me noticed my teaching potential and urged me to consider education,” Evan says. “I went for it, and I love it.” Since then, Evan has taken sure-footed steps into his profession, embracing a variety of experiences through Berry’s education department while taking on leadership roles. He is now teaching third grade in Baltimore, Maryland.
Evan was a student teacher in the third grade at BCEMS. Though certified to teach pre-K–5 grades, Evan’s heart is really in K–3. “They have this passion to learn about the world around them because everything is still new to them,” he explains. “Helping them navigate this world is everything to me. They come to school with energy and charisma. As a teacher, I have no choice but to reciprocate … which makes for such a fun, creative, spirited learning environment.”
Minoring in Spanish and Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) gives Evan a competitive edge because of his ability to engage English language learners in the classroom. He earned an English for Speakers of other Languages (ESOL) endorsement through field experiences at a local elementary school.
This training served him well in his role as the two-year student director of Berry’s English as a Second Language (ESL) Program, which provides language instruction to non-native speakers of English from diverse backgrounds. Evan supervised eight instructors and spearheaded the move to online instruction after COVID-19 struck, with the program reaching up to 100 adult students. “The transition to virtual learning allowed us to serve people outside our normal geographical reach,” Evan says.
Evan also served a two-year stint as the student director of the Pathways to Teaching Program, a scholarship program for ethnically diverse education majors that offers service learning, professional development, academic support and networking opportunities. The program’s director, Clinical Assistant Professor of Teacher Education Victor Morgan, mentored Evan from day one. “I took EDU 102, the intro course for educators to help prospective candidates decide if education is the right choice for them,” Evan says. “Mr. Morgan practically made it his goal to have me declare education as my major, and I’m so thankful he did. I couldn’t see myself in any other major.”
