Just a few years ago, Bradford resident Brittney Giancotti had an excellent job. She worked for a local, world-leading manufacturer. But the position consumed her identity and left little time to be the best mother, wife, friend and crafter that she could be. Her life changed around two years ago when she followed her heart to return to working in education.
Prior to her days working in manufacturing, Giancotti worked at a local daycare. She thoroughly enjoyed working with children and has felt a true calling to the education field for as long as she can remember. In fact, some of her earliest childhood memories were of her being the teacher of a room full of stuffed animals as her students. Her mother would purchase books she would teach from. Commanding and leading a classroom were longtime dreams, but she was never sure that she would get there. She decided to leave education for manufacturing to best support her family. After deciding a few years later that 60-plus hour work weeks in manufacturing were no longer sustainable, she decided the best path forward was to become a paraprofessional and follow her heart back to education. The Bradford Area School District hired her in August 2022, and she now works in the high school in the life skills classroom.
Becoming a paraeducator has not only allowed the Bradford Area High School graduate opportunities to return to her alma mater and aid young minds, but it also presented a unique pathway to become a teacher and have her own classroom one day. In the fall of 2023, the 14 public school districts in the Seneca Highlands IU9 service area received the news that there would be a low-cost pathway for their paraeducators to earn an associate degree in early childhood education with a focus in special education, and eventually a four-year degree in special education to become a public school teacher. The opportunity to earn an associate degree was through Northern Pennsylvania Regional College’s (NPRC) Paraeducator’s Pathway Program, which began when the IU9 selected NPRC as the official educational provider for the associate degree. The program is a six-term commitment over two years that is completed with live, remote instruction.
When Giancotti heard there would be a local, inexpensive pathway toward having a classroom of her own in a few years, she was stunned.
“It seemed almost too good to be true,” she expressed. “I experienced many emotions when I found out about this opportunity. I was mostly happy and eager to make this work. It was a no-brainer that I had to pursue this program.”
Giancotti wasted little time prioritizing the program in her weekly schedule, and the results have paid off as a Dean’s List student. Her support system of her loving husband,
her 6-year-old son, Mason, and her co-workers has been there to provide positive reinforcement and pick her up on days that may feel heavy. It’s not an easy task to balance motherhood, being a wife, working full time, and also being a full-time college student. However, her village of people has never wavered in their support for her accomplishing her dream, she said.
“My son lately has been beaming to tell people I go to school and my mommy also goes to school. It’s gotten to where I think he’s copying me because I’m looking at the computer for class, so he wants to do the same. He’s my biggest motivation and I want to be the absolute best influence on him I can be.”
Giancotti has also gained admiration from Director of Applied Studies and Instructor of Early Childhood Education, Leigh Anne Kraemer-Naser, who said, “Brittney has a passion for her work as a paraprofessional, and I am excited to see her continue her education towards becoming a certified teacher. Juggling a full-time job, a family, and going to college is no easy feat, but she makes it work. Brittany’s dedication to her college studies positions her as a positive role model for her students, and as a leader among her peers.”
So far, in her three terms as an NPRC student, Giancotti said she has grown to enjoy the flexible class times that allow professionals who work full-time hours to earn a degree by taking courses in the evenings.
After completing her associate degree in December 2025, Giancotti hopes to secure an emergency teaching certificate, which would allow her to lead her own classroom before having earned her bachelor’s degree, and aims to become a licensed special education teacher in 2027.
