Cerritos College News Releases -- March 2011

Cerritos students attend national teacher training conference

NACCTEP is a national organization founded in 2001 by Cerritos College and several other community colleges and organization, which serves as a learning community for community college teacher education programs across the nation.

Eighteen students in the Cerritos College Urban Teacher Fellowship (CCUTF) program, a teacher training component of the Cerritos College Teacher TRAC for youth at risk for gang influence, got on a bus at 6:00 a.m. on Saturday, to hear a keynote speaker Jeffrey Michael Reies Duncan-Andrade, who grew up in a gang infested area of Oakland and was exposed to gang activities. The CCUTF students were inspired by Duncan-Andrade, who has gone through the struggles that the students are experiencing. He spent over an hour after his speech with the Cerritos College students.

"He gave us an inspiring talk and opened my mind to many things," said Sandra Martinez.

"The presentation with Sue was great. I admit that I was somewhat nervous but I was grateful of having the opportunity to talk about the program and how much it has helped me and others achieve," said Martinez.

Martinez, who majors in elementary education, hopes to teach kindergarten.

On Sunday, the Cerritos College Teacher TRAC's very own alumnus Anthony Del Real discussed the impact the Teacher TRAC have had on preparing him for his roles as classroom teacher. Del Real, after serving in the Air Force for 24 years, began working in an after school program for the Bellflower USD. He now works with emotionally disturbed students at Mayfair HS.