Today’s Students Tomorrow’s Teachers (TSTT) held their 2nd Annual Sullivan County Careers in Education Conference at SUNY Sullivan on Tuesday, April 1. The conference was attended by 65 student participants of the TSTT program.

 Their agenda for the day included a number of workshops and lectures, including a college fair representing seven different colleges, to better prepare them for their career in education. Attending the conference were high school students of Monticello, Fallsburg, Valley Central, and Chester Academy; participating colleges (in partnership with TSTT) were SUNY Sullivan, SUNY New Paltz, St. Thomas Aquinas College, Mount Saint Mary College, SUNY Ulster, SUNY Oneonta, and Cortland College.

The program culminated in a keynote address by charismatic and inspirational speaker John Johnson, whose main message to his audience was how to respectfully and honorably evolve into a future leader. His speech, sponsored by the Sullivan County Chamber of Commerce Foundation, began with a personal story about his mother’s difficult emigration from Trinidad to Manhattan; when she arrived in the U.S., she was pregnant with her first child and a doctor told her the baby had no heartbeat. 

Miraculously, the baby was born and that was John Johnson. 

From humble beginnings, Johnson stumbled through high school skipping class and hanging out with the wrong crowd. When his high school principal (also his mother’s friend) took him aside and asked him why he was misbehaving, Johnson realized that he was not only disrespecting his mother, but also himself. He got serious about college applications and was able to steer his life towards a prosperous future; Johnson graduated college, then got a job working for Sage College in Albany before becoming the successful entrepreneur he is today.

Johnson presented three metaphorical “keys” to unlock a more productive and successful future: 1) have respect, 2) stay in your lane, and 3) honor your breath. With each key, Johnson gave the students a chance to give their own interpretation, and he was quick to offer gratitude and encouragement after someone shared their thoughts.  

Johnson made the case that society tends to focus on a person’s destination but rarely on the journey that brought them there. Johnson stressed that students today need to be serious about their destination but also mindful of their journey and cognizant of their purpose. The concept of keys was brought full circle when Johnson revealed that his first job in education paid him with a salary and also the keys to an apartment with no rent cost.

What is TSTT?

Regional Program Manager for TSTT, Shannon Daniel, said the mission of TSTT, founded in 1994 by CEO and President Dr. Betty Perkins, is to “recruit, train, and mentor culturally diverse and economically challenged students (high school and college students) who are on the path to becoming educators.” 

After the students complete their education, TSTT brings them back into their local communities as leaders. Through doing this, Daniel said TSTT “strengthens schools and communities” in addition to preparing tomorrow’s educators with the skills they need today to thrive and evolve. 

Daniel expressed gratitude for Sullivan County Chamber Foundation board member Lori Orestano-James, who helped TSTT secure funding for the event’s keynote speaker.

TSTT is a partnership of school districts, colleges, businesses, foundations and communities who provide mentors, internships and financial support. This year, TSTT will be celebrating 30 years of mentoring and training culturally diverse leaders who are on the path to a career in education. TSTT has headquarters in White Plains and serves over 650 students from regions in New York, Long Island, Connecticut, Virginia and Massachusetts.