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12/11/2019 07:30 AMUrsula Pendziwater possesses key characteristics enabling success in many areas of her life, but her most significant contribution to the East Haven community is as someone who positively influences the lives of hundreds of students through a career in special education.
A longtime resident and East Haven High School alumna, Ursula’s spark for special education was ignited by her experiences as a substitute teacher in the school district.
Originally pursuing a degree in elementary education at Central Connecticut State University, Ursula’s plans were altered with a misdiagnosis of a terminal condition, which was later correctly diagnosed as Lyme disease.
Before her proper diagnosis, Ursula moved back home and through her father, who was principal of East Haven High School at the time, started volunteering and substitute teaching in Judy D’Amato’s special education classroom.
Ursula quickly realized that this academic specialization was for her.
“I fell in love with the kids,” Ursula says.
She was inspired by D’Amato’s “passion for working with the students. She gave so much of herself. She enjoyed going to work every day. You could tell that she loved her job,” she says.
Based on her experiences as a substitute, Ursula changed her major to special education, eventually earning a bachelor’s degree in sociology and special education from Southern Connecticut State University.
During this time period, it was Ursula’s sister, who had just started working for a tick control service company, who suggested her ailment could be Lyme disease.
“She said, ‘You have all of the symptoms’,” Ursula says. “I saw the doctor and the blood test was positive for Lyme. A year later I was fine.”
With her health restored, Ursula was eager to start her career.
Her first job in special education was as a paraprofessional at Deer Run School and Overbrook Elementary School in East Haven. In this role, she provided support to teachers inside and outside of the classroom environment.
Throughout her career, she worked with various age groups, from middle school to high school and eventually as a special education teacher for grades 9 to 12 in the alternative high school program at North Branford High School.
She worked as a special education teacher and transition coordinator in North Branford for 18 years. In 2000, she earned a master’s degree in education from the University of New England.
As a teacher, she helped identify at-risk students and academic interventions and strategies that could be used in general education classrooms for students with a specific learning disability or attention deficit disorder, or who are emotionally disturbed, autistic, or have other mental health issues.
One of the highlights of her time in North Branford was helping to create a student-run coffee shop. The shop, which was initially run by alternative education students, eventually became an ideal resource for all special needs students.
Students would learn “how to be cost effective” in pricing coffee from the vendor, “make coffee deliveries to teacher classrooms and learn how to handle money—we used a real cash register,” Ursula says.
The program, which is now an elective for the general school population, recently celebrated its 10-year anniversary.
Although she admits, “it was hard for me to leave” her position in North Branford, she feels that “all of my previous positions have helped” get her where she is today, as transition coordinator and planning, placement team meeting chairperson for Wilbur Cross High School in New Haven.
“I can’t say enough about the support that I have found in New Haven,” Ursula says. “From my special education director, supervisor, [and] colleagues to the teachers. They are wonderful. They go above and beyond for the students.”
At Wilbur Cross High School, Ursula’s work focuses on preparing special education students for life after graduation and coordinating meetings with parents and school staff to discuss appropriate strategies and services for special education students.
She also acts as a liaison with the state Department of Development Services, connecting students and parents with various resources at the state-level.
Ursula says that the greatest reward in her career has been “seeing [students] after they graduate, being successful.”
Some of her past students work “in a wide variety of jobs [such as] an assistant manager at a clothing store, fireman, [in] landscaping, [at a] hair salon,” she says.
As much as she has taught her students, Ursula has learned from them “to never give up, and to keep working hard.”
In her spare time, Ursula enjoys spending time with her husband, Duane, of 23 years and their two daughters, Alexis and Nicole.
“We enjoy watching and supporting our daughters in their sports,” Ursula says.
The family travels and spends time with their extended family, building vacations around their daughters’ Amateur Athletic Union tournaments.
With their older daughter, Alexis, playing basketball all year-round, the sport is an integral part of family life, making Ursula’s involvement in helping to coordinate an alumnae game against Branford on Friday, Jan. 3 at 6 p.m. a natural extension of her commitment to family.
“The game has really been a joint effort of many people, from [East Haven Girls Basketball Head] Coach [Anthony] Russell and the team’s co-captains, my daughter Alexis and Isabella Ragaini, to other volunteers and parents,” Ursula says. “I am taking part, along with these other individuals, to help facilitate a fun event to benefit girls’ basketball at the high school.”
Ursula became involved with the team as a parent representative two years ago. She has helped coordinate numerous fundraisers to support the team including selling 50/50 raffle tickets with her younger daughter, Nicole.
For those interested in donating, playing, or attending the East Haven Girls’ Basketball Alumnae game and fundraiser, contact Coach Russell at arussell@east-haven.k12.ct.us or 203-823-7020.