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BY ALL ACCOUNTS -- ACTS OF
COURAGE ARE WHAT LED TO SIX
ADULTS AT THE SANDY HOOK
SCHOOL TO LOSE THEIR LIVES.
AS NEWS 8'S JOCELYN MAMINTA
FOUND OUT -- THEIR BRAVERY IS
INSPIRING THOSE -- PURSUING
THEIR 'OWN' PASSION FOR
TEACHING.
FOR MANY-- BEING A TEACHER
-- IS MORE THAN IMPARTING
KNOWLEDGE TO STUDENTS. "YOU
HAVE A HUGE IMPACT ON EVERYONE
OF THEIR LIVES, YOU WANT TO BE
PART OF THAT, YOU WANT TO BE
ABLE TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE."
TEACHING -- FOR THESE
STUDENTS IN THE
UNDERGRAD/MASTERS TEACHING
PROGRAM AT QUINNIPIAC
UNIVERSITY -- IS A LIFE
CALLING. "I USED TO MAKE MY
FRIENDS PLAY SCHOOL WITH ME.
I ALWAYS WANTED TO BE THE
TEACHER AND I MADE THEM BE THE
STUDENTS." "I HAD SUCH
GREAT HISTORY TEACHERS THEY
JUST MADE ME WANT TO TAKE WHAT
I LEARNED FROM THEM AND PASS
IT ONTO OTHER PEOPLE." THE
UNTHINKABLE LOSS OF YOUNG
LIVES AND EDUCATORS AT SANDY
HOOK ELEMENTARY -- THEY SAY --
IS A REALITY CHECK -- NOT A
DETERRANT. "YOU NEVER REALLY
THINK ABOUT THE UNEXPECTED BUT
LIFE IS CRAZY. SOMETIMES THEY
THROW IN CURVEBALLS. I GUESS
YOU JUST GOTTA ADJUST, IF
CIRCUMSTANCE HAPPENS, THAT YOU
HAVE TO DEAL WITH SOMETHING
LIKE THAT, YOU HAVE TO BE
READY FOR IT." THE STORIES OF
BRAVERY -- OF VICTORIA SOTO
PROTECTING HER FIRST GRADERS
-- ONLY SERVE TO INSPIRE THEM.
"AFTER HEARING ABOUT IT
AND HEARING ALL THE STORIES,
ENTERING THIS PROFESSION,
AFTER HEARING HOW HEROIC THE
TEACHERS WERE, THE STAFF."
"YOU WOULD HOPE THAT IF YOU
ARE EVER PUT IN THAT SAME
SITUATION YOU WOULD THE SAME
THING FOR YOUR KIDS BECAUSE
WHEN YOU ARE A TEACHER, THEY
ARE LIKE YOUR KIDS, YOU WANT
TO PROTECT THEM AS MUCH AS YOU
CAN." WHILE WHAT HAPPENED
HERE WILL BE FOREVER ENGRAINED
IN THEIR MINDS -- THEY LOOK
FORWARD TO THE DAY -- THEY ARE
AT THE HEAD OF THE CLASS.
"TEACHING THEM BUT NOT ONLY
TEACHING THEM BUT LEARNING
FROM THEM. THERE'S SO MUCH WE
CAN DO BUT THERE'S SO MUCH
THAT THEY CAN GIVE BACK AS
WELL." "WE AS FUTURE
TEACHERS WE'RE DOING THIS TO
MAKE OUR SCHOOLS THAT WE'RE
GOING INTO BETTER AND SAFER
PLACES AND WE HOPE THAT THAT
EXPERIENCE AND THAT EVENT
WON'T BE FORGOTTEN."
ALL FOUR -- CHRIS CALDARI,
ALEX BURGOS, NINA SHEWOKIS AND
VICTORIA FOR'-MEE-KAH -- ARE
CURRENTLY JUNIORS AT
QUINNIPIAQ -- IN THE THIRD
YEAR OF THEIR FIVE YEAR
ACCELERATED TEACHING PROGRAM.
PRETTY REMARKABLE YOUNG PEOPLE
-- AND THEIR COMMITMENT AND
COMPASSION WILL SERVE THEM