Mykaella Snow, a Lead Teacher/Coordinator at Partner Program, Mount Anthony Union High School in Bennington, Vermont, has been at The New England Center for Children (NECC) since 2016. She was nominated for Staff Spotlight by a colleague, “because she is a model teacher for NECC. She is extremely compassionate, goes above and beyond for her students, and does so much to support her staff. The students and families in Bennington are so lucky to have her!”

How long have you worked for NECC?

I have been with NECC in one shape or another since January 2016. I first interned at NECC my senior year of undergrad, from January to May of 2016, on Saddle Hill Road. It was during my internship that I fell in love with NECC and its mission and applied for a full-time position after graduation. I then worked for NECC from July 2016-August 2017 on Saddle Hill Road, working with the same learners I had during my internship.   

Upon moving back to my hometown in 2017, I learned that NECC had a Partner classroom at an elementary school in one of the surrounding towns and was seeking paraprofessionals. I immediately applied and worked as a paraprofessional in the elementary and middle school PSS classrooms from 2017 to 2023.

   
After completing my graduate program and finishing my supervision hours for my BCBA, a Lead Teacher position opened in the high school PSS classroom, and I re-applied to NECC. I have officially been back at NECC in this position since August 2023.  

What is your favorite part of your job?

My favorite part of my job is seeing all the progress the students make, whether it’s on a daily, weekly, monthly, or yearly basis. It’s surreal to be at the high school now, after working with some of these learners for 9 years and seeing where they are now compared to when I first started in the program, both behaviorally and academically.  For example, in elementary school, some learners had high rates of behavior when work was presented or would wander from their teacher while transitioning in the hallway. Now, they are working at different job sites or traveling independently to classes!  

Why did you choose a career in helping children with autism?

Honestly, as corny as it is to say, I think I was born to work with children with autism. Ever since high school, I have been working with children with autism in some way or another. My first job was providing respite care to two brothers with autism who were on varying ends of the spectrum. The younger brother was verbal and at a higher academic level, while the older brother was nonverbal and at a lower academic level. I would go to their house after school to work on academic skills, complete various household chores, and practice self-care skills. We would also have the best dance parties in the living room after finishing our work for the day! When it came time to start applying for college, I couldn’t think of any other career I would rather pursue than working with individuals on the spectrum.

Why NECC?

I interned at NECC during my senior year in college on Saddle Hill Road. I loved working with and getting to know all the students. The staff was also super kind and supportive, especially on harder days. I never felt like I was “just the intern”; they really made me feel like I was a valued member of the team. It just seemed like a really great place to work, and I still feel that way 10 years later.

Have you taken advantage of any of the grad programs or teacher training at NECC? If so, how has it affected your teaching style?

Unfortunately, I did not have the chance to take advantage of any of the grad programs before I moved back to my hometown. I did, however, try one free class through the Simmons program before I left NECC in 2017.

Who is someone you look up to?

I look up to a couple of people for various reasons. First and foremost, I look up to my mom because she showed me what true strength and perseverance look like. She was a single mom and worked so hard to make sure I had the same opportunities as other kids growing up. She made balancing a career, raising a child, and handling all household responsibilities seem effortless. Now that I am a mom myself, I realize just how hard that truly was, let alone doing it by herself.

Another person I look up to is my former supervisor, Emily Forman. When I was a para working in her classroom, I admired her teaching style and how she ran her classroom. You could also really tell how much she cared about all her staff and students, and how much she wanted everyone to succeed. When I started my master’s program, she offered to be my supervisor and encouraged and supported me every step of the way, even on the really hard days. I only hope I can be half the lead teacher she was. 

What is something about you that your colleagues might be surprised to learn? My colleagues might be surprised to learn that I used to figure skate from elementary school to high school and was convinced that I was going to become the next Michelle Kwan.

What is your life philosophy or motto you like to live by? A motto I like to live by is “be the change that you wish to see in the world.” It is a reminder that, instead of getting upset waiting for others to change their behavior, you can lead by example and demonstrate the behavior or change you want to see in your environment, which will hopefully make others follow suit.