THF grant will help start the career of recent ISU graduate

Gillian Guerrero has always dreamed of being a special education teacher. As the recent recipient of a THF grant, she will have a little help getting started.

"A lot of thought goes into planning a classroom and what is needed, and it is really hard as a first-year teacher to be able to fund everything on my own," she said in her grant application. "I want to provide a classroom where my students feel comfortable, and they know that I have everything to help them be successful."

Guerrero plans to use the funds to provide her students with flexible seating options, a quiet cube, light overs and other classroom necessities.

She graduated from Illinois State University May 13 and said she is excited to set up her classroom at Flanagan-Cornell Unit 74 in Flanagan, Illinois. Guerrero will teach special needs students ranging from kindergarten to fourth grade.

"It has always been a dream of mine to be a special education teacher, and now that it is coming true, I want to truly make an impact on my students," she said.