Jason Buehler ’19 describes his years at Mitchell College as “transformative” and “multidimensional,” a wellspring of inspiration for both his work as a teacher and for his life.

“Mitchell is a melting pot for endless possibility, courageous learners, and for individuals to become truly who they were meant to be. The ‘Mitchell Effect’ is real. When you step foot onto campus, you are instantly hooked.”

What hooked him?

The beachy campus and the small community were among many things, but the individualization for students who learn differently drew him the most.

“I am neurodiverse, and the feeling of coming to a campus that recognized this and had the resources to help me succeed was the biggest reason for me coming to Mitchell.”

Always intending to become a teacher, Jason discovered at Mitchell that he had a passion for working with students in the lower elementary grades, kindergarten through second grade. After graduating with a B.S. in early childhood education and human development and family studies, he put his skills to work, most recently as a kindergarten teacher in central Connecticut. 

He will begin a new position teaching first grade at The Gordon School in East Providence, Rhode Island, this fall and plans to pursue a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction with a focus on reading and language arts.

In his work in the classroom, Jason has found that he often draws on lessons learned from Dr. Nancy Parent’s Cross-Cultural Development course.

“She exposed us to different cultures in places I had never heard of, most of the time. I not only learned about cultural appropriations but expanded my mind to things I had never known before. I use this when working with students; learning to sit back and listen to kids tell me about things in their families that they do that may be singular within our classroom.”

He also uses the Mitchell Abilities every day, such as communication, critical thinking, technology, ethics, social interaction, and diversity and global perspectives.

“I work with a diverse group of individuals whose ideas, thoughts and perspectives globally are represented, heard and understood on a collegial and personal level. This happens with both the faculty and the students within our classrooms.”

Jason recognizes the value of mastering these transferrable skills.

“While a student at Mitchell, one does not realize the crucial impact these Abilities have. In class, I never thought these would come about in life so plainly, but they have. These are key components to living a successful and meaningful life.”