As high school comes to a close, and seniors say goodbye to the four cushion years before college, they can become frantic as they begin to think about what they want to do with the rest of their lives. However, for senior Abby Flack, her passion for special education has been clear to her since she was little.
Growing up, Flack watched her family welcome those with special needs, so she said this field of study is important to her.
According to Flack, watching how accepting her family is of people with special needs inspired her to pursue a career in special education.
“I had a great aunt with special needs, so I grew up around her,” Flack said. “I always wanted to be a teacher, so I thought those two would work perfectly together.”
As Flack found a calling in special education, she began to follow her passion and became a peer mentor in the classrooms.
“Since we have a peer mentoring program, I was able to have hands-on experience and got to see if that’s what I actually want to do,” Flack said.
Following her graduation this year, Flack is pursuing special education at Pittsburg State where she can implement her skills learned and enhance her level of experience.
For Flack, being able to help those who have special needs and creating a bond with everyone is the most important part.
“Building friendships with my peers and being able to say hi to them in the hallway is rewarding,” Flack said. “Peer mentoring means embracing everyone and letting everyone get a chance at something.”