Kelsea Peters, who was recently named the best graduating teacher of the Cyril Potter College of Education (CPCE), hopes to become a role model as her teachers have been to her.
“I have had some teachers — growing up — that definitely inspired me and they were role models for me and I would just like to be that for someone else or many others,” the 22-year-old Peters, who lives on the Essequibo Coast, told Sunday Stabroek in a telephone interview.
Now a trained early childhood educator, the valedictorian said that she is proud of her achievement, although it came as a surprise even to her as she has never taught before.
Peters, who graduated last Tuesday via a virtual ceremony held by the CPCE, noted that both her parents are teachers and she believes that added to her resilience. “I never taught before. I registered because I guess you can say my mother was an inspiration,” she said.
She had registered to start attending CPCE in September of 2018 and was accepted a short while after. She then got word that she would be remaining in Region Two to attend college at CPCE’s Anna Regina training centre.
Peters said that she was somewhat disappointed about not being able to go to the Turkeyen Campus but said that the disappointment was short-lived as she found it easier studying from the comfort of her home. “I think it worked out well getting to stay home. I think it helped me to stay focused,” she reasoned, before adding that she was also proud to have represented her own village with her performance.
As for the learning aspects, Peters said that she finds her training to be very valuable and she intends to apply all that she has learned when she begins teaching. She hopes to start teaching very soon. “The training I received, I would say, it was valuable because a lot of the things that I learned, I already see ways in which I can apply them to me being in a classroom. I learned some valuable skills,” Peters informed.
Prior to attending the teachers’ college, Peters completed her secondary education in the Turks and Cacaos, where she lived before returning to Guyana.
A total of 501 teachers graduated in her batch and many of them are now awaiting school placements. (Lazeena Yearwood)
