Luke Keith '24 never truly got closure from high school. He was a senior at Schalmont H.S. in the spring of 2020 when COVID sent everyone, everywhere, home. Luke was the student council president and had spent months planning the senior prom and class picnic and so many other events that were abruptly canceled. His classmates won't get the chance to return to Schalmont and experience what they lost. Luke, though, is walking his high school halls twice a week.
"The seniors now are freshmen when I was there. A lot of them come up and say, 'You're back already?' The government teacher was convinced I was coming for her job."
Luke did, in fact, plan on being a teacher, and he would have loved nothing more than teaching in his home community. But, partly through his experience as a Siena Community Assistant, Luke's professional goals changed. Ultimately, he figured he could impact more students on a broader scale as an administrator. When he shared that desire with his Teaching and Learning in the Middle School professor, a brand new internship was born.
Tom Reardon is a Siena lecturer in education and the superintendent at Schalmont. He gave Luke the fall semester of 2022 to develop an internship. This semester, they're working side-by-side at the high school.
Luke attends after school events, though now from the perspective of an administrator. He's also learning different administrative tasks and recently sat in on a meeting related to fire safety and exit plans in case of emergency. Ultimately, Luke wants to take what he's learning about the K-12 student experience and apply it toward a career in higher education administration.
"This internship shows me the development of students. When they get to college, I'll have a better idea of how to support them with the knowledge I'm gaining through this internship."
Luke could have gleaned similar knowledge at a different school district, but there's something full circle about being back at Schalmont. For several years in a row, Luke dressed up as his economics teacher, Mr. Gibbs, for Halloween. The costume focused on the school badge, which Mr. Gibbs always wore around his neck. Luke now has his own Schalmont badge, which he wears around his neck.
"It was hard leaving my senior year in March and not going back. Now I get to see senior year through the eyes of these students. It's my way of getting back and giving back while also getting closure."
“Having had the privilege of teaching Luke at Siena and now hosting him as an intern at Schalmont (both of our home districts), it is a pleasure to see his plethora of skills in action. Luke is a student who epitomizes the Franciscan tradition of serving others before himself, and it has been evident in his contributions via his internship work. I couldn’t be more proud!”
Tom Reardon, Ed.D., lecturer in education
