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'Brings me a lot of joy to see them grow': 38 educators graduate from Louisville Teaching Residency program

Both Zakiya Lacy and Laurence Seay left their previous professions to pursue teaching.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Almost 40 new teachers will be teaching in Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) this fall with their masters degree they received through the Louisville Teaching Residency program.

Zakiya Lacy will be teaching seventh grade math after leaving her career in pharmaceutical sales.

"I kind of thought about teaching because I have my own mentoring program so I was already along those lines, but this program really serviced my needs," Lacy said. "Not only can I make math fun but I can grow people in the inside, like help build up their confidence." 

She's among 38 of the graduates in this year's cohort. And she's not the only one who left their previous career either.

Laurence Seay left the sales industry to become an educator.

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"Oh man, I'm excited," he said.

Seay is completing his certificate in elementary education and hopes to teach third grade math next school year.

"It is intense but if you have the passion and the desire it comes real quick, real fast," he said. 

The Louisville Teaching Residency program launched during the COVID-19 pandemic.

It's a one year program partnering with the University of Louisville and Bellarmine University. It allows anyone with a bachelors degree to earn a master's in education.

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"This class has the spirit of resilience and tenacity, we're excited that we're able to put individuals in a classroom that reflect our students," said Sylena Fishback, the director of the Louisville Residency program.

Candidates in the program are paired with a mentor. It's an initiative to recruit more diverse teachers in JCPS classrooms; 26 people of color are graduating in this class.

"It is very rewarding, it brings me a lot of joy to see them grow," said Candice Hardin, an elementary coach in the program.

The Louisville Teacher Residency program is looking forward to welcoming a class of about 50 candidates in the fall. That will be the largest class since the program started in 2020.

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