INA, Ill. (November 3, 2025) — Rend Lake College's Ramsey Haggard (Eucha, Okla.), a sophomore in the education program with a focus on special education and a member of the Lady Warriors Basketball team, recently served as a Residential Staff member at the Gow School Summer Program in South Wales, N.Y.
Left photo, pictured: Haggard in her Lady Warriors Basketball jersey.
Right photo, pictured: Haggard hugging some of her Gow School students.
The Gow School is a coed, college-prep boarding and day school for students grades 5-12 with dyslexia and similar language-based learning differences.
Haggard’s interest in the Gow School began through conversations with Dr. Kirk Rhodes, Learning Enhancement and CTE Success Centers Coordinator, who shared how his own time at the school shaped his approach to teaching.
“My mentor, Dr. Rhodes, often spoke about how much he learned from his time at the Gow School,” Haggard said. “I wanted to gain that same experience and walk away with lessons I could apply to my own teaching career.”
Haggard cheering with some of her students on the Gow School campus.
As part of the residential team, Haggard supported students with language-based learning disabilities in their day-to-day lives during the five-week program. She helped them manage emotions, build confidence and develop strategies to overcome challenges.
Haggard credits her experience as a student worker and tutor at RLC for helping her develop strong mentoring skills. Working one-on-one with college students taught her the value of breaking big goals into smaller, manageable steps.
“I’ve learned to walk students through why they feel overwhelmed and help them break challenges into manageable bits,” she said. “That approach builds confidence and helps students learn how to handle stress both in and out of the classroom.”
Haggard said she continues to prepare for her teaching career by focusing on patience, communication and consistency — skills reinforced through RLC’s education program and hands-on opportunities.
“I’ve come to understand how important it is to lead by example,” she said. “I want the kids I work with to see confidence and integrity in how I respond to challenges.”
Looking ahead, Haggard plans to return to the Gow School and continue building on what she’s learned. She hopes to bring that same spirit of encouragement and understanding into her future classroom.
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