Almost everyone aspires to be a teacher at one point or another.

For students who are serious about this dream, Cornerstone’s learning disabilities major will help them achieve this and make an impact on every student in their class.

“The learning disabilities major is an additional certification you receive under the elementary or secondary teaching degree,” said Darla England, assistant professor of special education and learning disabilities program coordinator. The degree allows students to teach in a general education or special education setting once they graduate.

CU introduced the program six years ago and has since graduated two classes. The third class for the major will be graduating this May.

England said the program was added at CU because, “The field of special education is growing, and students are now being accurately assessed and diagnosed … at an earlier age.”

“The demand for an appropriate teaching environment and teachers to assess those needs has grown,” England said.

With this increase in awareness, England said future teachers need to understand they will have students with special needs in their class, regardless of age group or subject area.

“Teachers need to be able to address the needs of all students,” England said. “Inclusion is a thing of the present and future. Self-contained settings for students with delays and disabilities are a thing of the past.”

Students in the major are being taught to do this, making them more marketable.

“General education principles are requesting their general education staff to also have knowledge of special education,” England said. Thus, the employment rate for learning disabilities graduates is 100 percent because the demand is so great.

Two students who are in the program, Jenna Plewes and Olivia VanOosten, both spoke highly of the major.

“I love the learning disabilities program at Cornerstone,” said Plewes, a senior currently doing her student teaching at Rosewood Elementary. “I chose [it] because my mom and sister taught special education, and I have helped in their classrooms. Teaching has always been a passion of mine.”

Sophomore VanOosten said she chose her major “because I have always had a passion and a heart to work with children who struggle in school.”

She said all throughout elementary and high school she “wanted to help the students who struggled and would often pair up with children who had struggles in school.”

“I think it is very important to understand how to help these children and also [use] strategies [that] can help and be applied to benefit all students,” VanOosten said.

When the program started six years ago, only seven students enrolled. Since then, Rhonda White, associate professor of education and division chair, said the number of students in the program has tripled. There are currently 32 freshman and transfer students in the major.

Currently, England is the only full-time professor in the major, along with three adjunct professors: Penelope Miller-Smith, Kathy Zwyghuizen, and Lisa Norris.

But as the program expands White hopes they will be able to hire another full-time faculty member.

However, England said she likes how the current faculty is unique.

“All of us are either still working in the field, right now, or have recently been in the field. So we really have a grasp of … what new techniques and new laws are being put into place,” England said.

These field experiences include Special Educator Director, tutoring students with dyslexia, attending conferences and conventions, volunteering and consultant work.

White also said, “What I enjoy a lot about having the program is we are teaching students to meet the needs of all students.”