From a Support Role to the Front of the Class: Point Park Celebrates First Paraprofessional-to-Teacher Graduates Wednesday, May 27, 2026

After 36 years as a paraprofessional supporting students, Terri Pajak is finally going to have her own classroom as a certified teacher.

Pajak is one of the first graduates of Point Park's Residency Program, which allows education paraprofessionals to earn credits by taking specially-designed classes that blend college instruction with their daily tasks in the classroom, preparing them for teaching certification in Pennsylvania. 

“I have always supported students making accommodations to their tests and their lessons, but I never knew the ‘why’ behind it,” said Pajak, who received her B.A. in Special Education. “After attending Point Park and completing my student teaching, I can connect the dots with the real-world experiences that I have been having all these years. It was like I was cooking for 30 years and just found a cookbook.”

Though it was challenging to return to college, Pajak says her love of the job motivated her to persevere. 

"At the end of the day, my love for working with students and my long-time goal of having my own classroom were the biggest reasons I made the leap." She added, "And yes, I won’t lie, the pay increase didn’t hurt either!"

Flexible Online Learning

The residency program is designed to allow paraprofessionals to stay in their full-time jobs — wherever that may be. 

Laquita Williams is one of six students from Georgia who completed the program and traveled to Pittsburgh to attend both a celebration of student teaching and their commencement.

Williams, who has an associate degree in criminal justice, has been a paraprofessional for 14 years. Williams received her bachelor's degree in special education from Point Park and will be a seventh-grade special education teacher for the Dekalb County School District next year.

"I would recommend this program because it gives real hands-on experience that you can't get from a textbook," Williams said. "The material I learned in my classes and interactions I had with my professors and classmates gave me a clear understanding of how to be prepared to teach and also prepared me for my Georgia teacher certification testing." 

In the inaugural class, 90% passed their Praxis exam on the first attempt.

"Point Park University is incredibly proud of our first Residency Program graduates," said Virginia Chambers, Ed.D., dean of the School of Education and associate professor. "This cohort includes dedicated paraprofessionals who advanced their careers to earn their teaching certification while continuing to serve their schools. Their hard work, resilience and passion for teaching exemplify the very best of our program, and we know they are ready to make an immediate impact in their classrooms."

A Community of Support

While asynchronous, online classes had students participating from across the country, students in the residency program built community through a one-hour live class each week when students interacted with one another and their professors.

"Those sessions were helpful," Pajak said. "Sometimes, the instructors walked us through the weekly learning activities, and other times, they focused on reviewing our artifacts and giving feedback. Either way, I always felt supported and encouraged by my instructors at Point Park."

She continued, "Looking back, I’m really glad I stepped out of my comfort zone. It pushed me to grow, and I ended up with a wonderful student-teaching experience. Plus, I made some great memories. (And probably a few gray hairs along the way!)"

More About: secondary education, elementary education, education, special education, School of Education