Seton Hall Magazine, Winter 2003 - Seton Hall University

The summer prior to
her freshman year at
Seton Hall University,
Kathleen Burns had a lifealtering
experience. As a
counselor at Camp Fatima in
Lebanon Township, she
became determined to make
a difference in the lives of
children with disabilities by
pursuing a career in special
education.
At this sleep-away camp,
Burns was responsible for
providing around-the-clock
care for a child with developmental
disabilities and meeting
her designated camper’s
special physical and
emotional needs. Although
the work was demanding, in
describing her experiences,
Burns recalls, “It amazed me
that campers weren’t forced
to adapt to the camp, rather,
the camp adapted to them.
Campers had the freedom
they needed to learn and
grow, and I am so lucky to
have been a part of that.”
The most enjoyable
aspect of her experience
there, she discovered, was
that the camp provided a very
supportive environment for
both campers and counselors.
“Working at Camp Fatima
solidified my interest in
becoming a teacher and made
me much more confident
about choosing special education
as my profession,” says
Burns, who is now a junior at
Seton Hall. “With the greatest
tool of life — education
— you can achieve and grow
to be anything you desire.”
In high school, while
teaching swimming lessons at
the Newark YMCA, Burns
first became interested in
instructing. “I taught all ages,
from infants with their parents
to adults, but I especially
10 SETON HALL UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE
Student Spotlight
A Special Talent for Teaching Children with Disabilities
enjoyed working with young
children,” she affirms. “Their
excitement and eagerness to
learn was inspiring.”
After discussing her interests
and career options with
her advisers, Grace May,
Ph.D., director of special
education, and Marietta
Peskin, Ed.D., associate professor
of education, Burns
decided to enroll in Seton
Hall’s College of Education
and Human Services 4+2
Dual Degree
Program. Once
she completes the requirements
for a Bachelor of
Science in Special Education
— 126 credits, four field
placements and a senior
teaching experience — Burns
will be accepted into the
School of Graduate Medical
Education’s Master of Science
in Speech-Language
Pathology Program. With both
a bachelor’s and master’s
degree, she will be certified to
teach special education
and will have the
option of serving
Kathleen Burns, who is majoring in special education, provides students’
perspectives in her work-study job in the Office of the President.
as a speech and language
therapist in a school, clinic
or hospital.
In her freshman year,
Burns received an Alumni
Association Scholarship for
her academic achievement.
With this scholarship support,
she continues to
enhance her knowledge of
teaching through her classes
and fieldwork placements.
Currently, Burns is a
teaching assistant at The
Developmental Learning
Center (DLC) in Union. At
this public school program
for children with autism or
autistic-like behaviors, she
helps students develop skills
in areas such as speech and
language, academics, fine
and gross motor activities and
socialization/play. She heard
about the DLC in a class
taught by Kim Coleman,
Ph.D., adjunct professor of
education at Seton Hall and
superintendent of schools for
the Morris-Union Jointure
Commission, a regional collaborative
education agency.
Coleman recalls, “I knew
Kathleen would be a great fit
for the DLC because she is
motivated to learn and is
inquisitive concerning students
with severe disabilities.
She asked me questions in
and out of the classroom,”
he remarks.
Burns describes her
experience at the DLC as
phenomenal. “It’s very beneficial
to interact with the
teachers and work with students
who are all unique,” she
notes. “They all have different
personalities and different
educational needs.” At the
DLC, the class size is small —
six to 10 students — and each
student’s educational program