November, 2020

Cynthia Kipkorir | Graduate School of Arts and Sciences

Angelica Fajardo ’17, a master’s student in teaching (MAT) with a focus on world languages and a passion for Spanish, first came to Brandeis as an undergraduate only a few years ago. However, her journey to Brandeis began long before she set foot on campus. As a high school student, she recalls, “I was in my AP U.S. History class when we had to read about Justice Louis Brandeis, and I remember thinking, ‘Wow! He made a difference.’” The experience gave her an affinity for the values that inspired the University founded in his name.

As an undergraduate, everyone around Fajardo motivated her “to explore, learn, and make a difference in the world.” The University’s emphasis on using one’s talents for the betterment of society was the primary reason she chose to return for her graduate education after a three-year absence. Reflecting on her decision, she says, “I knew I wanted to come back to Brandeis because of its focus on social justice. As an educator, I make small yet powerful impacts on the youth that I teach.”

Fajardo is animated by a desire to help students explore the opportunities that come from learning another language. “I want to instill in my students a sense of curiosity and love for Spanish (or any language) from a young age, so they never stop exploring,” she says. “That is what excites me about teaching youth—they are so open-minded, flexible, curious, and brilliant.” She is also interested in teaching students “about different cultures that are united by this beautiful language in order to break down any negative preconceived notions they have of the Latinx community.” 

Fajardo’s understanding of the core Brandeis values of social justice and inclusivity has fundamentally impacted her approach to teaching. The faculty in the MAT program encourage their teachers-in-training to recognize, acknowledge and address inequities in their classrooms. “I am now thinking more about how my actions in the classroom—what I include in my curriculum, how I am differentiating, how I am adjusting to the needs of my students—impact the diverse body of students who are in front of me.” They also emphasize the need to create learning environments that are culturally relevant for students. For instance, she has added Afro-Latinx topics to her curriculum in the hopes that her students will understand the contributions that this community have made (and are still making), while helping them to develop a knowledge of the enormous diversity in the Spanish-speaking world.

Commenting on the MAT program, which she describes as “rigorous but meaningful,” Fajardo emphasizes the amount of work involved, but highlights that, “All of this work has made me really reflect about the things that I do, why I do them, if there is another way to do this to have my students think more critically, and how I am preparing my students to be active citizens in our society.” She has also benefited from the explicit connections the faculty make between theory and practice. The program encourages young teachers to employ strategies from the cutting-edge pedagogy that they learn on campus. “I keep learning new strategies and new approaches and I am fortunate to be able to apply these new skills and knowledge in my classroom right away,” she says. 

Fajardo has formed lasting bonds with many faculty members, describing them as, “amazing and very dedicated.” In fact, when she chose to pursue a master’s in teaching, Professor Danielle Igra was the first person she reached out to, having maintained a close relationship with her during the intervening three years. Even though Igra is not her official mentor in the program, she always shares “whenever anything happens in my classroom” with her. This type of close interaction with faculty is an essential component of the program’s philosophy of constant personal assessment and improvement.

Fajardo advises students interested in the Education related fields to, “Be patient. Be flexible, and breathe. You will feel overwhelmed, perhaps, and think that it is a lot of work, but it will pay off as we become educators who are teaching future generations.” Even though being a teacher is not easy, and the program is challenging, Fajardo does not regret her decision to return to Brandeis for her graduate education. “Everything we do in the program is preparing us to be the teachers of tomorrow,” she says.