Izamar Nieto

Izamar Nieto was born in Queretaro, Mexico. She moved to the United States when she was 1.5 years old and has lived in California ever since. She currently works as an Associate Teacher at the Mary Meta Lazarus Child Development Center located in the College of San Mateo. Izamar attended Cañada College and received an A.S. in Early Childhood Education/Child Development and an Early Childhood Education/Child Development Certificate of Achievement. She has been working for more than 2 years at the Mary Meta Lazarus Child Development Center and plans to continue her education to earn her Bachelor Degree.

 

 

What initially made you decide to take Education & Human Development classes at Cañada College?
During my free time, I participated in several volunteer opportunities. One of them was Reading Partners and in this program, I would work with a young child in a one to one ratio to help them achieve their reading goal. Through my volunteer experiences, my curiosity was sparked and I wanted to know how children learn, and what factors came together to shape a child’s developmental growth; thus, I decided to take the ECE 201: Child Development COURSE, and then rest of the Early Childhood Education classes.

 

What did you enjoy the most about the Education & Human Development Department at Cañada College?
Everyone who is part of the Education & Human Development Department is welcoming, supportive, resourceful, and encouraging. The professors, retention specialist, and A2B program guided me to be where I am today and I am extremely grateful for their help. I can honestly say that the Education & Human Development Department is great, and is open to helping their students.

 

How do you feel your courses in the Education & Human Development Department prepared you for your career?
All of the courses in the Education & Human Development Department prepared me immensely for my career. In each course, I would learn not only from the professors, but also from the student’s experiences from working in real Early Childhood Education classrooms. To this day, the tools, materials, and lectures I studied in my courses is what I use to plan curriculum, build relationships with staff and families, and arrange the classroom environment for my group of children.

 

What advice would you give to students currently in the Education & Human Development Department at Cañada College?
I found it very helpful to reach out to my retention specialist and my professors. They guided me towards completing my courses, and lead me to connect with, and eventually become part of, the wonderful staff at the Mary Meta Lazarus Child Development Center. It is a huge stress reliever when you know you have met and connected with people and staff who are part of the Education & Human Development Department who are there to help you reach your goal!