John Szasz fell in love with teaching after years of donating his time to working with kids.
“I was always a pretty active volunteer,” he said. “I worked with Big Brothers Big Sisters, in group homes, even at my old high school – I just loved connecting with people.”
When the 23-year-old Brantford native completed an undergraduate degree from Western in Biological and Medical Sciences, he took his love of teaching to a professional level. On Friday, he was one of more than 600 teacher candidates welcomed into the profession at the second-annual Pledge and Pin ceremony at Western’s Faculty of Education.
“You now have the amazing privilege of being able to nurture, mould and cultivate our future society,” Education dean Vicki Schwean told the assembled candidates. “This is a responsibility few professionals will ever be able to engage in or understand; you are tremendously lucky.”
During the annual ceremony, new students in the Bachelor of Education program stood as a group to formally pledge to uphold professional standards and adhere to principles of integrity and ethical conduct at all times in their future profession. It served as both a formal welcome into the teaching profession, and a reminder of the tremendous responsibilities associated with pursuing teaching as a career.
It is the only ceremony of its kind in a Canadian faculty of education.
Special guests Michelle Longlade, Ontario College of Teachers director of standards of practice and accreditation, and Rhonda Kimberley-Young, Ontario Teachers’ Federation secretary-treasurer, were in attendance to deliver remarks to candidates.
The guests, along with Margaret McNay, associate dean of the Faculty of Education, also administered the pledge to candidates, and presented each with a pin representing associate membership with the Ontario Federation of Teachers.
“Congratulations to you all,” McNay said. “This is a very symbolically important undertaking.”
For Szasz, the ceremony was a powerful reminder of the significance of his chosen profession, and the impact he can have on future generations.
“This was a great way to reinforce to all of us how truly lucky we are,” he said. “I’m a teacher and that is really important. It feels great.”