Class of 2025: Kaylee Chan

A dedicated and passionate advocate for young learners, Kaylee Chan will graduate in May with her Bachelor of Science in Education in Elementary Education. Throughout her time at UVA, Chan has embraced opportunities to foster inclusive and supportive environments, both inside and outside of the classroom. From her leadership roles in UVA College Mentors for Kids to her experience as a student teacher, she has exemplified a deep commitment to building connections and empowering students. As she prepares to begin her career as a fifth-grade math and science teacher at Charlottesville City’s Walker Upper Elementary School, Chan reflects on moments and values that have shaped her journey into education.

Q: What inspired you to choose a career in elementary education?

There’s something special about the moment something clicks in a student’s mind, and you can see that their world has just gotten a little bigger. It’s in those moments that I find genuine purpose and fulfillment. They fuel me to fight the good fight and do everything in my power to foster an environment where students feel comfortable, supported, and celebrated—an environment that gives them the courage to dare to think beyond what they know.  

One of the greatest blessings in my life was having a teacher that pushed me to see beyond the limits I was setting for myself. To have someone believe in me, see me, and take the time to truly know me was transformative. I think every person deserves to have that experience, and teaching allows me to pay that gift forward.

Q: Why did you choose the UVA School of Education and & Human Development for your program of study?

The School of Education and Human Development is where I've felt the most at home at UVA. Being surrounded by a community of students who are truly passionate about and dedicated to public service continually encourages me to keep learning, questioning, and moving forward.

Q: What is the most significant thing that has shaped your time here?

When I stepped onto Grounds in the fall of 2021, I promised myself I would join at least one club. That club ended up being UVA College Mentors for Kids, a national non-profit that pairs college student mentors with a local elementary schooler.

During my first year in the club, I was solely a mentor. The next year I continued mentoring, but also took on the role of transportation officer. This role involved riding the bus to and from UVA with all the kids, ensuring they arrived safely. Through this role, I learned what it means to be part of a community. Working with school staff, bus drivers, mentors, and families for the good of our students showed me how it truly does take a village.

During my last year in the club, as Vice President of Engagement, I recruited, interviewed, vetted, and selected over 100 mentors. The endless hours and late nights spent ensuring each elementary schooler was paired with a mentor they could connect with—and seem themselves in—was some of the most honest work I've ever done. Being able to watch these little buddies and their mentors grow from strangers to bright spots in each other’s lives over the course of a year made my time at UVA feel profoundly worthwhile.  

Q: What is one thing you learned in your studies that really took you by surprise?

One thing that took me by surprise was how much thought goes into everything you do and say as a teacher, and how you have to build those reflexes over time. There’s intention behind things that seem simple, like the physical layout of a classroom or giving positive, specific feedback to students.

Q: What is coming next for you after graduation?

For the 2025-26 school year, I will be a 5th grade math and science teacher at Walker Upper Elementary School in Charlottesville, where I am currently a student teacher. This will be the last year the school is open, so although my time there will be brief, I couldn't imagine being anywhere else.  

Q: Anything else you’d like to add?

I want to give the biggest “thank you" to my awesome Teacher Ed cohort, Katie Leigh, Isabel Finn Palmer, the Adam-Prpich family, and everyone else who has helped me make space for myself at UVA. The best parts of me are the things I’ve learned from all of you.