The Teacher Training Academy, or Teacher TRAC Program, celebrated 10 years of crafting students into competent teachers and instructors with apple pie, information and hope for any would-be instructor.

Sue Parsons, director of the Teacher TRAC Program, was handing out slices of apple pie in the administration quad to commemorate the programs milestone.

A picture collage booth has been set up with pictures of the last nine graduating classes of the program.

Parsons explained Teacher TRAC’s history and accomplishments, “The program was created in 1998 with our first class of 37 students to the 500 students we have in the program now.”

Parsons added, “Our students have won several awards, our program has won a national and state award.”

A few examples of its many accolades are:

• One of 10 best community college programs by Phi Beta Cappa.
• AACC has recognized Teacher TRAC as one of the top 10 best community college programs.
• One of two recipients of the Exemplary Program Award by the Board of Governors.

Joseph Mastron, program assistant for the Teacher TRAC Program, describes the program’s personal touch with all of its students, “We help students to become teachers when they have no way or knowledge of how to become a teacher.

“I wouldn’t say it’s a teacher ‘factory’ where everything comes out the same. Teacher TRAC makes teachers, but not in an impersonal way. Teacher TRAC takes students and makes them into teachers that will in turn teach other students in an individual basis as instructors, not robots.”

Melissa Wagner has benefited from Teacher TRAC for three years, majoring in elementary education.

She left the program for one semester to pursue her career training in Bakersfield, but soon realized how valuable the Teacher TRAC Program was to her success.

She said, “I spent a semester out there, and is wasn’t exactly what I thought it would be. The Teacher TRAC Program is a million times better.

“I was really looking for a program that had a lot of support in it, and this program has support all the way around. Whether I needed some motivation or some help, there was always somebody there and they always make time for you. It’s a very good motivational program.”

Wagner believes her goals would not be reached in the same amount of time without the Teacher TRAC Program.

“I was following the guidelines on my own, and I really didn’t know what I was doing so it really slowed me down. Coming back here, I’m going to speed back up and get back on track.”

The Teacher TRAC Program offers a variety of services, pathways and programs for any student interested in a teaching career.

Students can log onto http://teachertrac.com/default.htm for more information on this program.