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Alumni Spotlight: Shanelle Canady-Mitchell '14

Working in education during a national pandemic would be a daunting task for most, but not for Class of 2014 alumna, Shanelle Canady-Mitchell. As a Title I Reading Specialist at Monteith Elementary School in Grosse Point School District in Michigan, Shanelle is helping students deal with the stress of the pandemic while making everything feel normal.

Spending her days with Kindergarten and 1st Grade, Shanelle helps students who are struggling with reading and phonics. Her job is crucial now, more than ever, as she assists students who missed out on months of learning earlier this year. Through creating small group activities or working directly in the classroom to support teachers, Shanelle designs both academic and behavioral intervention plans in order to catch students up and help them adjust back to an in-person learning environment. “Working in education right now is hard, but I am excited about working in a pandemic. I know how happy students are to be together and how willing they are to adjust in order to make that happen.”

Shanelle’s passion for education was fueled by the teachers both in her immediate family and at Saint Martin. As a transfer student her junior year, Shanelle was worried about fitting in at a new high school. She credits the teachers, staff, and her Corporate Work Study Supervisors at BakerHostetler for making it a flawless transition and making her feel right at home. “I felt like I was wanted. Everyone cared about me and they went out of their way to check in and make sure I was successful. If I did not go to Saint Martin, my life would not be what it is today.”

After graduating from Saint Martin in 2014, Shanelle was one of the first recipients of the Precision Castparts Corp (PCC) full ride scholarship to the University of Akron. She graduated in 2018 with both her Bachelor’s in Early Childhood Education and Special Education. After working as a teacher in the Cleveland area for almost two years, Shanelle moved to Michigan in July where she works in her current role. Shanelle will be starting classes at Eastern Michigan University in January to finish her Masters of Art in Reading.