Recently we asked Grainne Carroll, who hails from Ireland, to tell us about her experience with ACE. Grainne is a graduate of ACE Service through Teaching (STT, cohort 16) and has completed one semester of ACE's Teaching Exceptional Children (TEC) program. Here's what she had to say.

My experiences with ACE and ACE TEC have been truly wonderful. From the joyous moment I received my letter of acceptance to the master's program in 2009, to sunny summers of intense studying at Notre Dame, to late night TEC assignments this fall, ACE has truly challenged me, pushing me to reach my potential as a teacher and minister of Christ.

During my undergrad years in Dublin, Ireland, where I gained my bachelor's degree in education, and the two years I spent in Texas completing my master's degree, one area that really intrigued me was special education. In my few years of teaching, I have encountered so many beautiful and talented children of God who have been denied their right to an equal and adequate education, specific to their individual needs. This reality hit home when one of my students in Texas left for the public school system due to insufficient funds and resources available at our Catholic school. It was heartbreaking to realize that we were unable to provide that student the education he needed in a Catholic environment. During this time, I decided to apply for ACE TEC.

ACE TEC has been a tremendous gift to me. It has provided me with the tools and information needed to actually make a difference in my classroom and in my school. Many times in my (short) teaching career, I felt unsure and unaware of the best approach to take with a student with special needs. But after just one summer and one semester of ACE TEC, I feel a greater sense of comfort working with these students, because ACE TEC has given me strategies that can help them succeed. For example, I am now a member of my school's Intervention Assistance Team, which exists to provide support of and/or guidance for teachers and parents of students with special needs. In the first two quarters of the year, our team met to address the unique learning needs of seven different students. We created implementation strategies for the teachers and parents to help these students achieve success.

ACE TEC has reinforced my belief that teachers must be equipped to address the unique needs of every student, because all students are special. I am grateful for the tools and encouragement the program provides so that an equal and excellent Catholic education is available to all.

Betsy Rafferty, also an ACE Service through Teaching graduate, currently teaches high school math and religion in Columbus, Ohio. Betsy reflects on how her initial teaching experience through ACE made her aware of the value of a program like TEC:  "I realized while in my ACE school that it does not matter how great your lesson plan is if your student has an underlying issue or environmental stressor that is rendering the student unable to learn. These issues or stressors often manifest themselves as learning or behavioral issues. I am excited to be in the TEC program, improving my ability to evaluate and help resolve these issues.”

Cassie Brownell graduated from the ACE Service through Teaching program in 2010, and she has returned to Notre Dame for further professional growth through the TEC program.

Cassie teaches 2nd grade in New Orleans, and insists that her "desire to participate in TEC was born out of my experience in my ACE school. TEC is one way to develop our abilities to better include and accommodate students with disabilities so that the Catholic identity of our schools can be more fully realized."

Cara Hanscom, a native of Connecticut and current first grade teacher in Virginia, seeks to meet the needs of all learners in her classroom. “My commitment to the ACE-TEC program stems first from my desire to be able to positively impact each of my students to the best of my ability. After four years of teaching for two dramatically different communities, I have found that every child brings something exceptional to the classroom. It is my goal to be able to identify each of my students needs and provide them with the skills and strategies to be able grow and develop to their highest potential.”

“ACE-TEC is providing me with the tools to go back to my school and do this, not only in my classroom, but also throughout the school, as I will be able to act as a resource for my fellow teachers.Creating a positive, cohesive and faith-filled learning environment, as well as providing differentiated instruction have been ongoing goals at Saint Mary’s and I look forward to sharing what I have learned about mental health promotion, social emotional learning and good teaching practices that will help us meet each of these goals.” She’ll return to St. Mary’s Catholic School in the fall to continue her learning and implement many of the strategies she’s developed this summer.