Tyler Berola, or Mr. Berola as his students call him, is in his third year as a fifth-grade teacher at New Berlin Elementary School and is a graduate of Lincoln Land Community College's education program.

Teaching allows him to share his love of learning. "It is deeply fulfilling to help students find their potential and to help them grow academically and personally," he says. "I want to help them persevere and overcome challenges."

Berola establishes a growth mindset in his classroom, turning thoughts of, "I can't do this" to "I just can't do this yet." "Not all students learn the same way, so I work to create an equitable learning environment where they all feel valued and empowered to learn," he explains.

"I also want them to take a leadership role in their learning. It could be an activity like reading or helping write on the board. It's great to see their excitement in learning and to bring the experiences that they read in books to life."

Surprisingly, education was not what Berola first went to college to study. He earned a bachelor's degree in psychology and then thought he would go into nursing. In fact, he returned to central Illinois and began taking prerequisite classes for the nursing program at LLCC.

When talking with advisors, he kept going back to work he had previously done as a camp counselor to help youth. "So I took an education class at LLCC and realized that teaching is really the career I wanted. I was all in. There were no doubts that this is what I wanted to do," Berola says.

"The professors at LLCC were outstanding. There were great classes on topics like technology in the classroom and elementary literature. They truly love education and are passionate about equity in the classroom. They want to help future teachers."

Berola has since earned his master's degree in elementary education and is now working on an administrative degree.

"LLCC set the foundation for the career I have now. The college has a great sense of community and fantastic support, it was close to home and the affordability of classes is phenomenal," reflects Berola.

"Teaching is more than a career. It's about making a lasting impact - being an academic resource and student advocate, serving as a role model and inspiring students to have a love for learning. If you want ot make a difference and positively impact the future, look into education. I have no regrets. It's an amazing career choice."