Noemi Liu ('26)
In the midst of the precipitous national decline of the teaching profession, Noemi Liu (she/her/hers) stands firm in her hope and passion for the career. An English major from California in Jonathan Edwards College, Noemi’s academic path is driven by a clear mission: to become a high school English teacher. While Yale doesn’t offer an education major or teaching credential, Noemi found her community and academic home in the Intensive EDST Certificate program. She values the program’s unique flexibility, which allows her to tailor her coursework, field experiences, and capstone project to her aspirations.
For example, Noemi’s field experience furthered her experience in and understanding of the teaching profession as she returned to her roots and interned with the San Gabriel Unified School District. Over the summer, she worked across diverse roles: teaching elementary intervention students, coaching in a high school speech and debate program, and designing a website for a central office initiative. Collaborating with three veteran teachers who collectively brought over 75 years of experience left a lasting impression on her. Just “watching them conduct themselves in the classroom was invaluable,” she reflects. “The longevity of their careers in the teaching profession inspired me.”
This inspiration carries over into her capstone project, where Noemi plans to investigate why high-achieving students in the U.S. often steer away from pursuing careers in teaching. Her project reflects her broader goal of reshaping cultural and societal narratives about teaching to emphasize its dignity and importance.
The EDST program has also offered Noemi meaningful personal connections, such as her recent experience with Professor Richard Lemons. After Noemi mentioned her father’s hesitation about her teaching career, Professor Lemons invited her dad to visit his seminar and share a pizza outing, promising a father-to-father conversation about the value of a career in education. “I was so touched,” Noemi shared. “I have never had a teacher be that personally invested in not only my life, but my family’s.” The touching exchange remains one of her favorite moments in the program.
Looking ahead, Noemi sees a future filled with teaching. In five years? Teaching. In ten years? Still teaching. With her passion for the profession and advocacy for education, she hopes to teach and inspire others to enter the field. “The world needs more teachers who care deeply!” she says. The transformative power of dedicated mentorship, fieldwork, and the desire to make a difference has undeniably shaped Noemi’s journey, which, one day, will also inspire her students.