Eastern Elementary Education Student Laina Rivers of Bloomfield Participates in Holmes Master's Program

2018 Feb 21

Eastern Connecticut State University student Laina Rivers '21 of Bloomfield is one of three students participating in the Holmes Master's Program this year. The program supports students from underrepresented backgrounds who are pursuing careers in education. Rivers majors in Elementary Education.

This year's Eastern participants are developing the talents needed to become agents of change in the teaching workforce, while also earning their master's degree. The program also allows them to work closely with different communities in an effort to engage in research opportunities and advocate for equity and diversity.

"Having the opportunity to be involved in a program that advocates for minority teacher recruitment is eye-opening and rewarding," said Rivers. "There are so many people of color interested in the education field who do not know where to begin or believe that they can be successful in the field. I am humbled and honored to be a part of such a program."

It is Eastern's ultimate goal that by participating in this program, the University will be able to create new interest in the field of teaching and raise the percentage of underrepresented students enrolled in Eastern's Education programs.

In order to qualify for the Holmes Master's Program, a student must be a member of a historically underrepresented group and must be a full-time matriculated graduate student in the field of Education. Students also must have a minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.0, a 3.0 GPA as a graduate assistant, or a 3.5 GPA as a research assistant for graduate coursework. For more information about the Holmes Master's Program at Eastern, contact the Graduate Division at (860) 465-5292, or at graduateadmissions@easternct.edu.