The Academy for Urban School Leadership (AUSL) hosted a graduation celebration at DePaul University on May 27th for the Chicago Teacher Residency Class of 2025, AUSL’s largest graduating class in 10 years.
Resident teachers, AUSL supporters and staff, and DePaul University College of Education professors joined our celebration to congratulate the 23rd class of the Chicago Teacher Residency. 105 resident teachers will join the growing community of 1,549 AUSL Teacher Residency alumni.
The ceremony was bright and uplifting, and a true reflection of the passion for teaching shared amongst our 2025 cohort.
Carina Kearley, Interim Director of the Chicago Teacher Residency, started the celebration with a welcome message of hope to graduates, emphasizing the importance and responsibility of power in the classroom.
“When I look out into this room, one word comes to mind – esperanza. Hope. Each of you beams the promise of hope,” said Carina.
“Hope for the more than 3,000 students you will collectively serve next school year. Each of you has the power to be that transformational teacher for your students.”
Messages for the class of 2025 continued with messages of encouragement from Mrs. Jasmyne Portee-Haywood, inaugural Teacher of Excellence Award recipient, Dr. Jennifer Mueller, Dean of DePaul’s College of Education, and Andres J. Fernandez, Executive Director of the Serve Illinois Commission.
Resident cohort representatives then shared their reflections on their personal and collective journeys throughout the residency year.
Thank you to the following cohort speakers for their inspiring messages and representing their subject areas!
Oscar Villalobos III, Diverse Learners Cohort
“One of my favorite moments of this past year is watching the cohort evolve into a beautiful community of teachers. Without the support of each other, we would not have been able to push through. Hard work pays off better if you’re able to celebrate in good company.”
Kayla Danielle Medina, General Education Cohort
“Day by day, moment by moment, I saw everyone grow individually. We did not just learn how to write objectives or manage transitions, we learned how to listen, adapt, and push forward, even when things were challenging.”
Tor Warren-Guerette, Visual Arts Cohort
“It can feel like a hopeless time in education, but it feels like the most important time. From where I’m standing, it is clear what needs to be done and how we can do it. We need to keep building those communities and connections with each other, now more than ever.”
Marquise Linnear, Middle and Secondary Grades Cohort
“We have seen the impact of teaching the youth directly. We are the community we can rely on. We now know what it takes to be a successful teacher and we will go above and beyond for our students because we hold this profession in our hearts.”
Lia Noel Khan, Physical Education Cohort
“We’re about to walk into classrooms as the real deal – the adult, the teacher. We’ll be the ones to introduce a student to a book that changes their life or give them the first compliment they’ve heard all week or simply be that steady, calm presence in a world that feels anything but.”
Following cohort messages, resident teachers viewed a video with congratulatory messages from the Chicago Teacher Residency Associate Directors and Recruitment teams as well as mentors from the program.
Revisit all of the special messages from speakers and moments that made our graduation celebration a success below:
Thank you to all of AUSL’s dedicated supporters that made training, mentorship and growth possible for all of our 105 graduates.
Congratulations to the Chicago Teacher Residency Class of 2025!
