Editor’s Note: In February, the GradPost featured Emmet Cullen (“Graduate Student in the Spotlight: Emmet Cullen”). Emmet, an Army veteran who fought as a sniper in Iraq, is an Education master’s student at UCSB with dreams of becoming a teacher. In December 2011, while on a desert adventure to celebrate his 30th birthday, he lost two good friends in an ATV accident. In a couple of weeks, Emmet – who has been teaching U.S. History to eighth-graders at Balboa Middle School in Ventura as part of his program – will walk on stage and receive his Master’s of Education as well as his single-subject teaching credential in Social Studies. As the academic year nears an end, we checked in with Emmet, who reflected on what the Teacher Education Program (TEP) and the support of friends, family, and cohorts has meant to him; how he has coped with his friends’ deaths; and what he hopes his future holds.
Friends of Chris Rice and Daniel Carbonaro form a circle in the Mojave Desert during search operations in December 2011.On the aftermath of losing good friends Chris Rice and Daniel Carbonaro while on an ATVing trip with them and others to celebrate his 30th birthday:
For a few weeks [after their deaths] I missed a few classes to go to memorials, and just couldn't seem to concentrate. I feel that being back with my teaching cohort was incredibly positive, and helped pull me around to get back on track.
Ten years ago I never imagined I would be where I am today. I never imagined I would see civil war in Iraq. I never imagined I would lose friends in war, and others to drugs, prison, and now in an ATV accident. The only thing to do is to try to use negative experiences to influence your life in a positive way. Today I am on the cusp of again graduating from UCSB, this time as a credentialed teacher with a master’s degree. I'm not sure why these things happen in life, but I can tell you that I am one lucky SOB, and appreciate so, so much being accepted into the TEP program.
On the end of the school year:
The school year is winding down now, and everything seems to be going by at the speed of light. My eighth-graders are ready to fly the coop and move on to high school. This is kind of a bittersweet end of the year. On one hand I am thrilled to be done with school, but on the other hand I know that I'm going to miss my students as well as the school cohort.
The rush at school now is searching for elusive teaching jobs. Quite honestly I am so happy to simply be graduating after everything that happened this year, I have just been focusing on making sure I complete my master's and enjoying the moment and the little time we have left at UCSB. I have had a great time in the classroom and find that I am really enjoying teaching, so I'm confident that some type of job will come over time. For now I'm going to graduate, try my hand at substitute teaching, and keep an eye out for one of the few and far between teaching positions that come up.
Emmet Cullen at Balboa Middle School in Ventura.On teaching and TEP:
I think that my main challenge of becoming a teacher in general is building your ability and confidence day by day. I am lucky in that I have awesome students, and a great teacher who I have been working under this year. His name is Eddie Guereña. He's a former graduate of the TEP program, and I think he very much deserves credit in helping me along this year. Eddie (Mr. G to the students) has shown me how to walk the fine line of discipline and compassion with the students. From day one he made me feel welcome in his room. We worked together on fun, creative projects with the students, dealt with problems and emergencies in the classroom, and have become great friends along the way.
Ron Kok also deserves my gratitude. Unfortunately, this is Ron's last year at the TEP program. Ron has showed us how to use teaching methodology to make history interesting for the students mainly by making things interesting for us in the process. We would leave class learning about something new, and clamor for the opportunity to try it ourselves in the classroom. But beyond that, Ron is also a great friend. He is always kind and approachable. Often we would meet and walk our Labrador retrievers, just shooting the breeze about life.
These kind of close-knit relationships I feel are what makes the TEP program a very special experience. I really am going to miss my friends in the program. I'm sure to see them along the way in our future careers, but I will definitely miss our sessions together, griping about problems in school, problems in class, and generally problems in life.
On inspiration, support, and encouragement:
Emmet Cullen and his friend, Chris Rice. Chris died in an ATV accident.Bad things happen to people in life. Let's be honest, life is generally hard. All students are at times short on money. We all struggle in relationships, struggle to get assignments done.
We have all been at the end of our rope, stressed out at midnight and scrambling to get things done. I am, needless to say, one of these people.
What has been amazing to me this year has been that every time I have been down in this program, there has been someone there to support me. Someone to inspire me. Someone to encourage me not to give up.
That is so important when you're putting in 12-hour days of teaching followed by evening class and lecture.
On life’s gains and losses:
Here I am just a few weeks from walking. I think about my friends who I have lost, this past December as well as overseas, and feel proud and happy to have known such people in life. On some level I feel that working to find success is one way to pay homage to those who are no longer here with us.
Sunday the 17th, I will be happily graduating and looking forward to the future opportunities that life has to offer. I will also be thinking about the past on that day, and missing those not able to celebrate the occasion with me.