Student Spotlight: Mia Impastato

By: Madison Howard, Features Editor

Whether she is spending time with friends, baking something for others or participating in campus activities, Mia Impastato values the connections she builds with the people around her.

A special education major at Canisius, Impastato describes herself as outgoing, caring and determined. Outside the classroom, she participates on the Canisius acrobatics and tumbling team as a top, and serves as sisterhood development chair for Phi Sigma Sigma. She also enjoys shopping, making memories with friends and spending time with her dog, Hank.

For Impastato, college has been a period of personal growth. Balancing academics, athletics, friendships and leadership responsibilities has taught her independence and perseverance while encouraging her to step outside her comfort zone. One of her favorite memories at Canisius has been meeting her roommate, Adrianna Mangione. Over the past year, the two have grown close through their adventures together and decorating their home.

While her college experience has given her opportunities to grow personally and become involved on campus, Impastato is also preparing for a career that reflects one of her strongest influences: her mother. Impastato chose to study special education after watching her mother work in the field. Seeing her mother’s passion for her career inspired Impastato to follow a similar path. “I was extremely inspired by her because she was so passionate about her job,” Impastato said.

Her own experiences working one–on–one with children with special needs further strengthened her interest. Through those interactions, she saw the importance of building relationships with students, practicing patience and understanding that every child may need a different kind of support.

Impastato is now gaining classroom experience through her student teaching at Public School (PS) 17. She works with students during reading and math blocks, assisting them individually and in small groups with math assignments and reading comprehension. She also observes classroom teachers to learn different approaches and consider how she might run her own classroom in the future. 

One of the most meaningful parts of the experience has been getting to know students as individuals. For Impastato, teaching is about more than helping students complete their schoolwork. It also means building trust and creating an environment where students feel safe, understood and confident in their abilities. “I’ve learned how important it is to be patient and encouraging with your students no matter what. Being encouraging is the best thing that you can do to motivate your students to want to do better,” Impastato said.

These lessons are helping Impastato develop the qualities she hopes to bring into her future career. She wants to understand each student’s needs, adapt her approach and advocate for students, so they feel included and supported. She also hopes people become more mindful of the language they use when discussing people with disabilities. For Impastato, respect is an important part of making sure every student feels valued.

Her interest in special education also influenced her decision to attend Canisius. She was drawn to the university’s small campus environment, where everything felt close by, as well as the Higher Education Opportunity Program (HEOP), in which she participates. After graduating, Impastato hopes to build a career working with people with special needs. She is particularly interested in applied behavior analysis (ABA), and is considering further education as she explores opportunities in the field.

As she continues to prepare for that future, Impastato hopes the students she works with will feel comfortable turning to her, even when they struggle. She wants them to know that someone believes in them, and that they can feel proud of their progress. For Impastato, the relationships she builds, whether with friends on campus or students in the classroom, remain an important part of who she is and the educator she hopes to become.