#Fisher2019: From Student to Teacher

After four years of hard work, Britni Martin ’19 was excited to walk across stage during St. John Fisher College’s Commencement ceremony.

“My favorite part of Commencement was being able to see all the friends I have made over the past four years one last time and to see everyone receive the diploma we all worked for hard to achieve,” she says.

Now, as a graduate of the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. School of Education, Martin will help the next generation of students achieve their educational goals. The Carthage, New York native recently accepted a full-time teaching position at Alice Drive Middle School in Sumter, South Carolina. There, she will teach eighth grade social studies, putting both her inclusive adolescence education and history majors to good use.

“The School of Education prepared me to be the educator I’ve always wanted to be and I am looking forward to what this next step has in store for me,” she says, noting that professors including Drs. Whitney Rapp and Jeff Liles both helped her during her time at Fisher.

She also credits her time as a peer mentor in preparing her for a career in education. At Fisher, peer mentors provide first-year students with both academic and social support, helping them acclimate to life at college. “It was an incredible experience to be able to welcome the incoming freshmen home for three years in a row, and watch them grow into a true part of the Fisher family,” she says.

While Martin may be forging a new path in South Carolina, she plans to remain close to her alma mater.

“I hope to be able to come back to campus for Alumni Weekend within the next few years and see the school that has helped me achieve my dreams,” she says.