The Pathways to Teaching Residency celebrated the graduation of 19 educators on May 22, at the California Lutheran University campus.
The graduates completed a rigorous 18-month program, earning their multiple subject with bilingual authorization credential, with many also meeting the requirements to be transitional kindergarten (TK) compliant.
A testament to the program's success and the high demand for the new teachers, all 19 graduates have already secured placements as teachers within the Santa Maria-Bonita School District for the 2025-26 school year.
"Many of our residents attended SMBSD schools as students themselves,” said Alana Terrones, a teacher on special assignment with Pathways to Teaching. “Prior to beginning the program, they were employed as bilingual instructional assis