By Viviana Saratan-Pruett

Staff Writer

DOWNINGTOWN, Pa. — Leah Cramer and Lauren Klunk, alumni of both Delaware County Community College and Downingtown High School, have begun their professional journeys as teachers in the Downingtown Area School District. They attended DCCC while still in high school through the Downingtown Teacher Academy, one of the many Structured Pathways dual enrollment programs offered at the college.

The two earned 16 college credits through the program, giving them a head start on their careers. This allowed them to maintain a lighter course load in college, which proved helpful as they balanced their studies with student teaching. Being able to secure those credits early helped prevent burnout, a common struggle in the intensive field of education.

“I think that is so beneficial for my well-being,” Klunk said. “Student teaching is not easy, and being able to lighten my load because of Delaware County Community College is so important to how I thrive as a teacher.”

The credits were not the only benefit; the program also prepared them for the rigors of higher education. Because the academy courses were more intense than typical high school classes, Cramer and Klunk found the transition to college much smoother. The variety of classes and the opportunity to build social connections helped them thrive at the university level.

“I think with that training, it helped when we did get to college to have that experience of the intensity to better prepare us,” Cramer said.

Both women were motivated to teach early in their high school years. Cramer discovered the program during her freshman year and was determined to participate because of her passion for the field. While Klunk did not learn about the academy until later in her high school career, she already knew she wanted to pursue education. The program allowed them to gain a firsthand feel for the classroom and helped guide their career paths.

Klunk explained how the experience shaped her trajectory, noting, “I do think Delaware County [Community College] helped me realize where exactly I wanted to be.”

The program also opened professional doors that might otherwise have remained closed. For the past two years, Cramer worked as a paraprofessional at the Downingtown Area School District, where she is now a 7th and 8th grade autistic support teacher at age 22. Klunk now works as an autistic support and life skills teacher at the same high school from which she graduated just a few years ago. Both women now work alongside their former teachers and feel supported by those long-standing connections.

“It’s really cool to have that support early in place because of the teachers we have had,” Cramer said. “Having that additional support along with our mentors is really nice to have.”

Now that they have their own classrooms, they are applying the lessons learned through the DCCC program. Both emphasize the importance of giving students a voice, a practice they saw modeled during their time as dual enrollment students. Cramer focuses on the importance of minority representation in the classroom, while Klunk stresses personability with her students.

“Coming from such a small cohort and now teaching such a small cohort, I feel like it is nice to not just have a voice in education but have that personability with my students—making sure they feel heard,” Klunk said, as Cramer nodded in agreement.

Cramer and Klunk believe they would not be in their current positions without the foundation provided by the Downingtown Teacher Academy. Reflecting on the program’s impact, Cramer noted how instrumental the academy was in placing the building blocks for their careers.