Meet Jean-Philippe Guillerault ’23: Special Education Teacher

Heading into a competitive job market after graduation can be an intimidating prospect for a college student, but certainly not as daunting if fully prepared to face the challenges that lie ahead.

Jean-Philippe Guillerault ’23 found himself in that very situation recently, but it was his preparation at Curry that helped ease his mind and empowered him to reach his goal of entering the teaching profession. Guillerault now works as a high school level special education teacher at Spurwink Services in Maine.

With a major in Community Education and a triple minor in Special Education, STEM Education and Psychology, Guillerault credits his small classes and key academic resources like the Program for Advancement of Learning (PAL) and the Education Resource Center (ERC) with providing him with the vital tools needed to succeed in his career.

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Importantly though, it was the guidance of his Education professors and site supervisors during his experiential teaching work that had some of the greatest impact.

“I did a senior practicum at Boston Higashi in Randolph working with students on the autism spectrum. That experience taught me a lot about the real world and gave me insight into how a different model of education can work. My mentor teacher and the practicum supervisor were amazing and extremely helpful in helping me make sure I had the tools necessary to be successful. They also would constantly check-in to see if I had questions or just to see how I was doing.”

Throughout his four years at Curry, Guillerault was also an active member of the Men's Rugby Club. He served as the president his junior year and the captained the squad during his senior year. He gives credit to this his time in Curry Club Sports for showing him the need to keep pushing to reach new goals and explore new experiences.

“Being a part of the Rugby Club team helped me a lot in college,” Guillerault said. “It not only gave me a love for a new sport, but the camaraderie is unlike any other I have experienced on a sports team. The connections I made with that team with my teammates will last my whole life.”