Steven Stanley G'19

Making a career change from accounting to special education may seem like quite the leap, but for Steven Stanley, the challenge was part of the draw. Previously a successful corporate accountant, he always had an interest in education and planned to begin a second career when his children were older and in college. But when he found Bay Path University and saw how convenient classes could be, he decided “Why wait? I’m going to do this now.” He knew it was time to start his career change, and just a few days later he was enrolled in the graduate program in special education.

Steven chose special education because he loves working with students who have different needs and challenges and finding ways to make every student successful, and he credits Bay Path for helping him achieve his educational dreams. The course schedule fit in easily with his need to continue to work, and he was able to work during the week and take most of his classes on the weekend at the Concord Campus. He even enrolled in some online courses that allowed him greater flexibility to do academic work on his time.  “Bay Path faculty have been friendly, supportive, and hands-on,” said Steven. “They are super-available and understand that graduate students are managing family, work, and school. If you’re interested in a Bay Path degree, just go for it. The staff, administration, and faculty will help you figure out all the intricacies of graduate school and help you manage everything from tuition to student support services,” Steven said.  

Currently, Steven is working at Tyngsborough Elementary School as a paraprofessional. He supports an inclusive, co-taught 5^th Grade class during Math, ELA, Science, and Social Studies and works collaboratively with the General Education and Special Education co-teachers to deliver lesson plans and implement accommodations, modifications, and differentiated instruction to meet the needs of learners with disabilities. He previously worked as a special education teaching assistant at an elementary school in Concord, Massachusetts, where he delivered small-group instruction of math and reading comprehension and provided academic, emotional, and social support as a 1:1 aide for a student on the Autism spectrum. His administrative and leadership skills were put into play, too, as he worked collaboratively with related service providers to implement and reinforce various social skills and emotional regulation strategies. 

He is looking forward to his Spring 2019 graduation and his professional entrance into a special education career.