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The need for teachers continues to grow nationally. In the state of Georgia, the teaching profession is projected to grow 11% through 2030, according to O*Net.

At Georgia Gwinnett College (GGC), students in the School of Education (SOE) are training to become the teachers the state needs. For two SOE students, the journey to graduation in May means they’ll each be realizing their career dream, and the ultimate winners will be the students they teach.

Sumayyah Yoonas began her journey on the other side of the world. Born in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), she has been in the United States for 20 years.

“Growing up, I had a passion to become a doctor, but life doesn’t always work out as planned,” she said. “After completing most of my education in the UAE, I later married, moved to the United States and earned my GED. I then began working at Walgreens as a pharmacy tech.”

Soon after, she was promoted to senior pharmacy technician. At the Walgreens Specialty in Northside Hospital, she began training incoming technicians and liked the teaching aspect of it. In 2019, COVID changed everything.

“I became immunization-certified and was giving teachers their shots. During that time, I talked with them about their career, and that was a turning point for me,” Yoonas said.

That’s when Yoonas decided to follow her passion for teaching and enrolled at GGC. She graduates in May with her bachelor’s degree in middle grades education.

“Teaching is about helping those around you and contributing to society,” she said.

For Natalia Diaz Vega, the decision to become a teacher came from her experiences as a student.

“I had a lot of teachers who inspired me,” she said. “Seeing the difference they made for me and my classmates helped me decide to become a teacher.”

A native of Colombia, Diaz Vega has lived in Georgia most of her life.

“My parents are hard workers, and that inspired me to succeed,” she said.

Diaz Vega learned that being a teacher means more than mastering the subjects.

“You have to have a passion for it,” she said. “I like kids and the connections you can build with them. It’s so rewarding when you see that light come on in their eyes when they understand a concept.”

During her time teaching in a classroom at Meadowcreek High School in Norcross, Diaz Vega connected the concepts she learned with how to successfully plan, teach and manage her students.

“Yes, you teach the content, but it’s also important to understand and recognize that students also have emotional needs,” she said. “It’s an opportunity to help them build their self-confidence and achieve their goals.”

For SOE alumnus Dustin Wilson, ’24, elementary education, the journey to GGC started in New Hampshire where he oversaw an after-school program for four years. The Dacula native found his way back to Georgia and then to GGC.

“I’ve always known that I wanted to be a teacher, and after running an after-school program, I wanted to do more,” he said. “I also knew I had to go to college. GGC was my choice because of the hands-on experience you get, and after graduating, I knew I could hit the ground running.”

Wilson is a fifth-grade teacher at Dyer Elementary School in Dacula.

“One of the advantages I’ve had is being a little older and having more life experiences,” he said. “I’ve also learned that having fresh ideas and determination are great to incorporate into what my students are learning.”

The rewards of teaching, Wilson said, go beyond the subjects his students learn.

“It’s rewarding to see the growth in my students through the school year,” he said. “I want them to be prepared and equipped for middle school. Just knowing that one day these fifth graders are going to step into the real world, I hope they take with them the confidence that they can reach their goals.”

AI in the classroom

The role of AI in education and the classroom is something that is becoming a part of teaching. How teachers and their students decide to incorporate it is evolving.

“For me, I find using AI is helpful when it comes to lesson planning,” said Diaz Vega. “I use it as a starting point or when I’m looking for helpful ideas. For my students, I don’t want them relying on it too much.”

To help her students use AI as a tool instead of using it to do the work for them, Diaz Vega has her students write on paper first.

For Wilson, AI is helpful for planning and as a foundation.

“I teach my students to use AI to take their own idea and expand on it further,” he said. “This helps them grow their ideas in ways they may not have considered. AI is really an unchartered territory.”

Yoonas uses AI for planning and a way to engage her students.

“I think AI will have positive effects. It’s a new way to approach teaching,” she said. “I have my students start with something they want to read about. It’s a way to connect students. With AI, my students then analyze what comes out of it, which teaches them critical thinking and verifying information.”

View and download Students to Teachers gallery photos.