Sean Cosgrove ’13, MAT ’14

Sean Cosgrove's path to teaching wasn't always clear-cut, but once he got into the classroom, he knew: "This is for me."

He came to Quinnipiac expecting to major in the health sciences, but decided it wasn't for him. After meeting with several deans, Cosgrove realized he had a passion for history.

With two parents in the field of education, Cosgrove had always received encouragement from friends and family to consider teaching. So Cosgrove gave Quinnipiac's field experience at North Haven middle school a try and he found, "I loved being in the classroom."

Now a senior, Cosgrove will graduate with a bachelor's degree in history in May 2013. Next year, he will complete the one-year program to achieve his master's in secondary teaching.

Cosgrove says Quinnipiac has done a great job preparing him for a career in teaching. "You're not just thrown out into the field," he says. "They assimilate you to the classroom through coursework and some field work during your third and fourth years. In the fifth year, you really go out and are immersed full-time. I feel like I naturally apply what I'm learning. Often I've thought to myself, wow, I just did exactly what we had learned in class last week, and it worked well."

Shortly after enrolling in the five-year program, Sean joined the Quinnipiac University Future Teacher's Organization where he found his niche. "I was late coming into the teaching program so my first week of education classes I decided to attend a QUFTO meeting without knowing anyone. The more I went, the more I loved it and now I'm on the executive board. It's great to be with a group of people in the same mindset," Cosgrove explains.

Professor Beth Larkins-Strathy, associate dean of the School of Education, recognizes the asset Cosgrove has been to the program and the group. "Sean is one of the most enthusiastic candidates in the MAT program. He is a valued member of QUFTO and the group's historian. Last year he helped to organize a STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) night at Pond Hill School in Wallingford for grades 3-5 and really had those students engaged in the learning. Sean is going to make a wonderful teacher," she says.

Interactions with School of Education alumni have also underscored his confidence in his professional choice. "I see other alumni sometimes at the North Haven Campus and they're always saying how happy they are and how well Quinnipiac prepared them. They tell us, 'Quinnipiac knows what it's doing,' so that's really reassuring."

Cosgrove is eager to secure a teaching job in either New Jersey or Connecticut and to begin his career. "I really want to make an impact on student's lives. I am looking forward to having my own classroom and making my mark."