statistics
name: tiana cannon
College: university of education
Selection subjects: adaptive curriculum special education
Year: 44
Classification/Year: Senior
home town: Albany, Georgia
Hobbies/Interests: Support your nephew at sporting events, workouts, crafts, etc.
ECU is with you
How will I take my ECU with me after graduation? I'm really grateful to the people who were my contemporaries. There are relationships that have been built with some of them and I'm going to take that with me.
Tyanha Cannon's passion for working with children led her to pursue a bachelor's degree in special education through East Carolina University's Partnership Teach Program. As she prepares to walk across the stage on Friday, she will complete her final step in realizing her childhood dream of becoming a teacher.
Before attending ECU, Cannon earned an associate's degree from Tidewater Community College and began working part-time in a church preschool program. There she met the director of the program, one of her mentors.
“She taught me to see kids and meet them where they are,” she said. “She helped me rediscover her passion for teaching.”
Cannon has found a new leader in Dr. Christine Barnett, assistant professor in the College of Education. In 2023, when Cannon needed surgery, she worked with Barnett to ensure that all her duties were completed early to avoid delays. However, Barnett made sure Cannon was taking care of himself.
“The grace, support and love she poured out on me during a very difficult time meant so much to me,” she said.
Tyanha Cannon found a network of support at ECU. We will use this to create her own unique classroom environment.
Cannon is also grateful to the Partnership Teach Program and her advisor, Carly Rusko, for supporting her as she pursued her degree while working full-time as a teaching assistant. Although she wasn't on campus for classes every day, she developed bonds with her classmates and deepened her connection to Pirate Nation by attending ECU football games.
One of the things Cannon is most proud of is that she has taken and passed all five Praxis exams, allowing her to obtain licenses to teach special education, adaptive and general curriculum, and regular elementary education.
In addition to the certification, Cannon plans to graduate with honors. When asked what advice she could give to current and future students, she recommended making time for academics in their schedules.
“Instructors may not be able to answer questions at the last minute,” she said. “Setting aside time each day instead of waiting until deadline day can be beneficial and less stressful.”
This fall, Cannon will take the lessons and support she experienced at ECU and begin the next phase of her career in her own special education classroom in Pitt County.
Fall 2024 Graduate Profile
