“I believe students truly thrive when they have teachers who represent them.”
Long before she had a classroom of her own, Keannah Lazala was already teaching. Growing up in the Bronx, she helped other children with their homework, explained lessons to classmates, and spent hours playing teacher. Today, she is living out that childhood dream as a kindergarten teacher at P.S. 62 Inocensio Casanova in the Bronx, teaching what she calls her “dream grade.”
Lazala attended New York City public schools from kindergarten through 12th grade, and that experience shaped the kind of educator she wanted to become. Nearly all of her classmates were Hispanic or Black, yet few of her teachers shared their backgrounds. As a Latina educator, she wanted to bring students the culturally responsive teaching she never experienced herself, and to be a role model they could see themselves in.
At Monroe, Lazala earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees. Her coursework strengthened her classroom management, deepened her content knowledge and pedagogy, and taught her how to plan effective lessons. Student teaching and work in Bronx after-school programs confirmed her calling: to teach in an urban, high-need community where students need dedicated teachers who push them to be their best.
Monroe’s support extended beyond coursework. The program helped Lazala and her classmates prepare for interviews and navigate job applications – preparation she credits with helping her land her current position.
For Lazala, teaching is about more than academics. She knows firsthand the emotional impact a caring teacher can have, and she wants every student to feel capable of growth and accepted in her classroom, regardless of background.
“Thank you so much to Monroe University for making my dreams come true,” Lazala said, “and hopefully, they can make your dreams come true as well.”
