ORLANDO, Fla. — Shawnes Caneus is a teacher at UCP Transitional Learning Academy in Orlando and she knows the power of a good internship. She was drawn to a career in teaching thanks to the teachers she met while interning.

When Spectrum News 13 stopped by her classroom, Caneus was teaching her students how to write an argumentative essay in her English Language Arts class.

“It’s going to help them with speaking. It’s going to help them with vocabulary, it’s going to help them build multiple angles in writing in general,” she said.

Her bright seventh through 12th grade students are special education students, but Caneus is focused on their abilities. She said, “When they’re done, they actually come together and have a live verbal communicative debate.”

Her interest in teaching was sparked around their age.

“I started younger in high school and I just kept going. I was an intern through the summer program and I just never left. I just decided to stay. I had teachers that I looked up to — that especially influenced me — especially with the special education,” she said.

Caneus says she saw a real need.

“I just felt an urge to continue working and helping them and mold their pathways so they can be successful,” she said.

She sees that success everyday inside and outside of the classroom.

“Over the years, they’ve come out of their shells. Started talking. Advocating for themselves, which is the thing we try to teach with our students and some students that never had friends outside of school — now have friends that they communicate and maintain relationships with,” Caneus said.

Caneus summed up the reasons why she loves her career educating students — “Joy and laughter, and it just feels good to like make a difference,” she said.