Welcome to my 4th & Final College Year from attending AHRC NYC's Melissa Riggio Higher Education Program!
Fall Semester (2022)
As of the Fall Semester in 2022, I was officially in my 4th (& Final) College Year of the Melissa Riggio Higher Education Program (which led to me being a senior) and as of said program returning back to their freedom, I got back to attending KCC classes in-person which I haven't done since My 1st Year: Spring Semester. On my Fall Semester schedule (besides my usual much needed "Study & Assignments" sections), my KCC classes were Psychological Disorders in Young Children (PSY2400) & Art Workshop in Education (EDC2200). As of this semester, I finally got to meet 2 college professors (in-person) that I've known for a long time (remotely) during the COVID-19 pandemic, Professor Jeremy Sawyer & Professor Susan Carpenter, both who wanted me to attend their classes for this semester & they've succeeded at the end which was how I got in Professor Sawyer's PSY2400 & Professor Carpenter's EDC2200. During my experience in PSY2400, not only I've been getting along with interacting with my PSY2400 classmates, I've been doing good with my assignments, 1 involving the Crip Camp documentary, 1 involving one of Margot Cole's films, 3 homework assignments of answering disability-related questions, 2 exams (Midterm & Final Exams), & a Disability Interview Assignment. Along with the Crip Camp documentary & a Margot Cole film, I've enjoyed watching plenty of videos & other documentaries related to the disability community (their lives, the Melissa Riggio Higher Education Program itself, & even helpful others trying to aid those of said community) + I've learned much from the videos related to the deaf-blind community like Helen Keller, Haben Girma, & a mom with her deaf-blind son. During my experience in EDC2200, it was a little struggling with the assignments but I've managed to have done well enough to pass. I've done my best in participating in the art activities with my EDC2200 classmates which allowed me to learn much about Abstract & Creativity from Professor Carpenter. Interacting with my EDC2200 classmates felt great especially from learning about some of them earning chances to work with children (even as student teachers) except that led to me getting envious of them. This is not involved with my 2 KCC classes but I was invited to attend Professor Carpenter's online evening PSY2400 class as a special guest, some of her PSY2400 students had apparently knew about me from Professor Carpenter sharing one of my videos ("Brush your Teeth Song/Book") to some KCC students in the Early Childhood Education subject. I've done so well interacting with those KCC students along with answering some questions for them, it all resulted in what Professor Carpenter had shown me, good commenting about me (on a Discussion Post via Blackboard) from her PSY2400 students, which (I admit) had made me feel so proud as an advocate. During my time from attending FIG meetings, Professor Carpenter & another college professor in Early Childhood Education (Professor Lisa Esposito) spoke with me about a possibility to earn a field placement, which can allow me to work with children during My 4th Year: Spring Semester. At first, I was honored but I didn't want to get my hopes up since field placements (in Early Childhood Education) can be possible to earn for KCC students aiming for a degree (in Early Childhood Education) so I thought it wouldn't be possible for a student in the Melissa Riggio Higher Education Program but they insisted on me earning a great opportunity & thus the field placement progress began for Michael Lettman. At the end, not only I've managed to pass both classes, I've also enjoyed the experiences of being in Professors Sawyer's & Carpenter's classes in-person from within my final fall semester (which led to us having a good 2-part conservation on My Project's Channel).
Winter Semester (2022)
During the Winter Semester of my 4th & final college year, I was attending AHRC classes (in-person) taught by the mentors. Some of my classes were College Writing, Career Development, Social Media, Cultural Exploration, Money Management, & Alumni Book Club. On Wednesdays, we go out on trips which allowed us to go out & enjoy ourselves for all our hard work, I've enjoyed some of the trips (especially a party at an AHRC NYC site in Manhattan). For a second time, I was invited to attend Professor Carpenter's online evening PSY2400 class as a special guest & managed to connect with her PSY2400 students. Most of their questions that I've answered were involved with me & one of my career interests of working with children. Once again, I've earned good commenting from KCC students (in the Early Childhood Education subject) which gave me a proud feeling on the inside. Professor Lisa Esposito (mentioned in final fall semester) has been staying in touch with me about my process of getting into field placement & it's been going good even though the feeling of earning that kind of work experience still hasn't sunken into me yet. Not only my final winter semester went good, I also got to meet some new mentors & even trial students who may be attending the Melissa Riggio Higher Education Program if they choose to.
Spring Semester (2023 + The College Life of Michael Lettman's Ending)
This was the final semester in my final college year from attending AHRC NYC's Melissa Riggio Higher Education Program, all the way up to my Graduation. As mentioned in my final Fall & Winter Semesters, the field placement progress for Michael Lettman had actually succeeded, which resulted in having only 1 KCC class on my Spring Semester schedule, Educational Practice for Early Language & Literacy Development (EDC4000) taught by Professor Lisa Esposito. Not only was I happy to earn a class in my major (Early Childhood Education) as my final college class, I ended up being the 1st-ever student in the Melissa Riggio Higher Education Program to earn Field Placement, which led to me working as a student teacher at the Joan Snow Pre-K Center + I got to work with kids again since the Northside Center for Child Development (in my P373k years). During my experience in EDC4000, Professor Esposito informed our class about the kind of assignments we'll be doing, which were Reading Responses, Field Reflections, a Language & Literacy Project, a Read Aloud assignment, & Field Presentations. Professor Esposito also informed us about the kind of schedule that we had at our field sites, which was working in our classes only on Wednesday Mornings. It was unexpected how some of my EDC4000 classmates recognized me from my "Brush your Teeth Song/Book" video (shared by Professor Carpenter), which made me felt proud to be with classmates who were looking forward to having me in their class. It was also unexpected how I ended up being the only male student in my EDC4000 class & it was according to Professor Esposito that I've learned how there are less male role models for kids (than females). On the 1st few days of working in the chosen class at my field site, I've had done a lot of observing around my preschool class since I was still learning what to do as a student teacher. I've been working with the teachers & paras of the class + it was nice to meet young preschool students that I've been learning how to connect with. For my Reading Response assignments, I've been reading a book (Joyful Learning in Kindergarten by Bobbi Fisher) & connecting with its chapters, which made me do very well with the assignments (especially by reflecting some parts of my fieldwork from the chapters). For my Field Reflection assignments, I've done a lot of reflecting on my fieldwork from detail after detail, which helped me get better & better at being a student teacher. For my Language & Literacy Project, I've learned important tips for enjoying reading to kids, which allowed me to explain that research with my EDC4000 class on the day when we've presented our projects. For my Read Aloud assignment, it took lots of practice (+ making sure I read properly) but I managed to have done good in reading a "Max & Ruby" book to a few of my young students (despite reading in a not-so-quiet part of our classroom). For my Field Presentation, I've earned permission to take pictures of my fieldwork as long as I don't capture any face images of my young students (for privacy reasons) & along with a few recordings that were added, I've finished up a Field Presentation video, which my EDC4000 class enjoyed very much (even Professor Esposito who got interested in having my video fulfill some advocating purposes). I'm very grateful to Professor Esposito & my EDC4000 classmates for giving me a wonderful time in my final college year + I never felt so good for what I've been learning from my own major, which can be a big help for my career path. As my Speech & Senior Project were all set, I've enjoyed my big occasion of graduating from the Melissa Riggio Higher Education Program at Kingsborough Community College + to everyone that I've been connecting with in my college life (those of KBCC & those of AHRC NYC's MRHEP program) = "You've earned a big THANKS for your kindness to Michael Lettman".
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