A Full-Circle Experience

This past July, Hailey Strauss ’19 stepped back into the classroom at Forman, returning to the school that helped give her the foundation she needed to succeed.

After graduating from Forman in 2019, Hailey earned her bachelor’s degree in social media and digital communications from High Point University in 2023. She recently completed a master’s degree in web and application development, and this fall, she will begin a master’s degree in teaching at Quinnipiac University.

To help prepare for the next step in her educational career, Hailey returned to Forman as a Summer Program counselor and teacher intern, where she gained valuable experience both in and out of the classroom.

“Forman is an amazing school that gave me so many opportunities to grow,” she said. “I understand what it is like to have a learning difference, so this is a full-circle experience for me. I am so lucky to be able to help students gain the confidence and self-advocacy skills that I learned when I came to Forman.”

Hailey, who currently works as a paraprofessional at Cook Hill Elementary School in Wallingford, CT, said her interest in teaching grew from her time as a student at Forman and from the teachers who helped her recognize her strengths.

“Because of the guidance I received at Forman, I was able to succeed in college, graduating with honors,” she says. “I want to be a teacher so that I can inspire confidence in students, like my Forman teachers inspired me.”

Her interest in teaching is also shaped by her background in technology. While earning her master’s degree in web and application development, Hailey worked as a computer coding teacher for an after-school program, a robotics team, and a summer camp. As she looks toward her own classroom one day, she hopes to use her technology skills to help students strengthen their problem-solving skills and, eventually, develop assistive technologies that support their learning.

During her month back at Forman, Hailey saw the classroom from a new perspective and observed how teachers adapt lessons to each student’s learning style and strengths. She especially enjoyed watching students grow and build confidence.

“It is very rewarding when students begin to trust, ask for help, and challenge themselves in ways that they never have before,” she said.

Through her roles as a counselor and teacher intern, Hailey hoped to give her Summer Program students some of the same encouragement she once received.

“I want the students to know that every person is unique and special in their own way and that everyone can succeed,” she said.