MSU Graduate Reflects On Family's Reverence Of Education Amid Troubled Times
DENVER (CBS4) – Graduation for one student at Metro State University of Denver was bittersweet. Commencement is the celebration of her degree in early childhood education, but the ceremony on Friday also fell on the six-year anniversary of the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut.
Twenty students and six educators were killed, including her aunt.
"I just have such a passion for it, I have such a passion for kids," said Carly Dougherty, class of 2018. "I think it's such a an important field to go in to."
Dougherty says she has always wanted to become a teacher, even though she wasn't the best student growing up. But she knew it was her calling and specifically working with younger children in kindergarten.
"I'm a little bit nervous, I kept having dreams about forgetting my cap or my gown, or tripping going up the stairs," she said. "I'm so glad my family is here today and they are able to be with me."
Her aunt Mary Sherlach was an educator at Sandy Hook. While Dougherty knew early on she wanted to become a teacher, the loss of her aunt and that shooting weighs heavily on her. Sandy Hook and other school tragedies have changed the role of teachers, she said. They now must also become protectors, keeping students safe when no one else can.
"She is a true hero to me and to my whole family and to be able to here, going into her field is really important to me," she said. "That's always a really hard day for us."
Joining Dougherty at the ceremony inside the Denver Coliseum were several family members including her mother, Jane, Sherlach's sister. Doughterty will soon work with almost the same age of students as her aunt did. Dougherty says her sister told her she believed in supporting students while they were young and reaching them before they struggle.
"Mary was the brave school psychologist that ran toward the shooter, she sacrificed her life to save little children," said Jane.
The last time the family saw Sherlach was in 2012 just months before the shooting, they were all attending the wedding of Carly Dougherty's sister.
"I know Mary would be incredibly proud and so would my mother because my mother was an English professor," Jane said. "Education is very valued in my family."
When the date of fall graduation was announced by MSU, Dougherty was worried about telling her mother. She knew the pain her family associates with Dec. 14. But they believe it was a sign to look forward.
"It's actually been a blessing in disguise because it's able to bring us together for a positive reason," Doughtery said. "I know that my aunt Mary is here with me today."
Her mother agreed. While she wishes Sherlach could have been there for the graduation, she knows the family will rally around the newest graduate and her future.
"I thought it was a beautiful sign, the focus is on Carly and her dream," said Jane.
She remembers her daughter thinking about teaching from a young age. Dougherty played "school" with her brother.
"She dreamed of always having a rocking chair and her books and reading to her students," Jane said.
Even when she was young, they were not immune from the terror that sometimes reaches school campuses. Carly was 4 years old when the Columbine High School shooting happened in 1999. Her mother says they were in the car together when they had to pull over for emergency vehicles passing them by to head to the school. The day of the Sandy Hook shooting, Jane texted her daughter to leave her school and come home. She was a senior in high school by then.
"She could be in a position like Mary's some day. It's not unheard of, it happens every day in schools across our country," her mother said. "It's scary, It's a very scary thought and I will kind of live with that I guess."
Dougherty says the issue was unavoidable while completing her degree. It came up in class and she often had to discuss it with professors and other students. Since Sandy Hook there have been many more shootings that keep the issue relevant. She says she appreciated that her colleagues handled the topic with care and respect around her while at MSU.
"I know in my heart that that's where I'm supposed to be," she said. "When you hear of a school shooting or anything of sort, you think of your school, your kids, you put yourself in that situation and it affects you and it scares you."
The day before her graduation there were bomb threats across the country including in Jefferson County, where Dougherty is a student teacher. The constant reminder of the danger does not stop either graduate or her mother from remembering why they are here.
"It's always there, but it wasn't like I would ever stop her from pursuing her dream," her mother said. "I've watched her work so hard."
The ceremony started in the afternoon and after a few speeches and the traditional pageantry of any graduation, it was time for all the graduates to walk and receive their diplomas. Dougherty made her way from the stage and eventually was reunited with her family.
"I always call her 'The child whisper.' She will get down at their level, she just loves children and they love her," her mother said.
Dougherty says she does not know how to handle her new reality as a graduate, not worrying about classes for the first time. But she also says this is not her last time in school, she plans to get a master's degree as well. Now the search begins for her first full-time teaching job and assembling her perfect classroom.
"I am so hopeful and so excited to be coming up into this field," she said. "Hopefully having a little rocking chair where I am sitting and reading to all my little kindergartners."
Shawn Chitnis reports weeknights for CBS4 News at 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. Email him story ideas at smchitnis@cbs.com and connect with him on Twitter or Facebook.
