After serving her country as a U.S. Navy Seabee and continuing her service in the Air National Guard, Nadia Morris-Mitchell ’24, G’26 is answering a new call: teaching. The Syracuse native has enrolled as a Baldanza Fellow in the University’s School of Education, where she is pursuing a master’s degree in inclusive special education for grades 7–12.

Seeing the Impact

The Baldanza Fellows program, a partnership of the School of Education, Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs and several Central New York school districts, aims to recruit and retain teachers who bring diverse life experiences to the classroom. Fellows receive tuition assistance, a stipend and a guaranteed teaching position in a partner district upon graduation.

“Nadia is paired with the Syracuse City School District, so she will have a middle or high school teaching position in special education when she successfully completes the program,” says George Theoharis, professor and program coordinator. “Local school districts are looking for teachers who bring varied life experiences into the profession, and we know this benefits students. With her military background, Nadia exemplifies the kinds of life and work experiences the fellows program supports. We are excited to have her and look forward to seeing the impact she will have on Syracuse students over her career.”

Helping the Community

Morris-Mitchell began her educational journey as a part-time undergraduate in creative leadership through the College of Professional Studies. While completing a bachelor’s degree, she continued serving in the Air National Guard’s 174th Attack Wing public health team—a unit responsible for disease monitoring, occupational safety and vaccination programs for nearly 2,000 members. She continues to serve during her graduate studies.

Her commitment to service extends beyond the military. She works part-time as a fitness instructor and volunteers in her community, balancing what she calls “organized chaos” with a disciplined routine shaped by her years in uniform. “In the military, I got used to waking up early and getting things done,” she says. “Even today, it’s lights out at 10 p.m.”

Morris-Mitchell’s decision to teach was sparked by outreach from the School of Education’s graduate admissions team. Recognizing the need for special education teachers in Syracuse, she embraced the opportunity. “Joining a program like this fulfills me and gives me more purpose,” she says. “It makes me feel as though I’m helping the community.”

One of Us

As part of her application process, Morris-Mitchell interviewed with the Syracuse school district, in anticipation of being offered a teaching position when she graduates. Beginning her program in summer 2025, she already has two field experiences under her belt, one in the Solvay Union Free School District and another helping teach English language arts in Syracuse’s Nottingham High School.

Mitchell-Morris says her field experiences have helped her to understand resource disparities between city schools and the suburban high school—Cicero-North Syracuse—she attended: “This experience has opened my eyes to differences in classroom behaviors and class management.”

Moreover, her keen eye and military understanding of logistics and public health have led her to notice other distinctions, such as how many Syracuse students rely on city transportation instead of school buses or the narrow food choices at Nottingham’s sports complex concession stand. “There’s little choice other than hot dogs and chips in an area of food insecurity,” says Morris-Mitchell. “It makes me wonder why things here have to be at a bare minimum.”

Most importantly, she says, the students in her placement classes “have been great” and—an especially good sign for the Baldanza Fellows program—some have voiced appreciation about having a teacher who looks like them: “‘You’re one of us,’ they’ve said to me.”