Special Education Senior Found Confidence Working Through Struggles

May 5, 2023 | Graduate News, News, UToday, Alumni, Judith Herb College of Education
By Kirk Baird



As early as middle school, Alec Finch noticed those students his classmates didn’t — and so he made a point of talking with them.

“Those students always looked happier when I said ‘Hi,’ or I stopped and talked to them,” Finch said. “So I decided to combine the two things I enjoy the most. Teaching and making people happier; I feel that in special education, I am able to do those things effectively.”

Graduation Cap

CELEBRATING SUCCESS: UToledo recognizes the Class of 2023 with a series of stories featuring students receiving their degrees at spring commencement.

Finch will graduate with a bachelor’s degree in special education intervention specialist during Saturday’s 2023 Spring Commencement.

Dr. Dawn Sandt, an associate professor in the Department of Teacher Education, said she expects wonderful things from her former student as a teacher.

“I have the greatest confidence that Alec will make a positive impact on the youth he will be teaching,” Sandt said. “He not only has the aptitude for being a teacher educator, but he also has the attitude.

I have no doubt that he will also be a leader in his place of employment. He is a problem-solver who is diligent about treating people with patience and respect. It has been an honor to work with Alec during his UToledo career.”

Finch’s journey as a UToledo student hasn’t been easy. One of his bigger challenges is with reading and writing.

Headshot of UToledo student Alec Finch.

Finch

“What I have done is learned to accept the fact that I struggle with reading and to find ways to navigate around it to still be successful,” he said. “With writing, I have come very close to overcoming it, but I still often rely on tools such as Grammarly. I am a much better writer now than I ever have been; it came with a lot of practice.”

It’s those personal struggles that have made him more empathetic to the struggles of others, particularly students with special needs.

“I know how many of them feel,” Finch said. “There are certain things that I do not understand, but I know the feeling behind them. I struggle primarily with reading, so I understand how many students feel.”

And now as he approaches graduation, he said his journey at UToledo has made him more confident, particularly as a teacher working with younger students.

“I have obviously become much more knowledgeable on special education and everything that is involved in the field. Most importantly, I feel that I could teach an English class if it was required of me, which I would never have thought possible.”

 

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