At 21, Already a Teacher and Advocate for Change
While many PennWest students were enjoying their spring break by catching up on sleep or traveling, senior Edinboro student Gavin Mitsdarfer was exactly where they feel most at home: teaching in the classroom. At 21 years old, Mitsdarfer has presented at conferences, won multiple advocacy awards and graced the cover of a national magazine – simultaneously balancing the demands of being an education major and student worker.
Remaining equally committed to their responsibilities, Mitsdarfer has accomplished much more than the typical college student and has cultivated a level of passion that will serve as a foundation to their future career as a Special Education teacher.
The Fuel to the Fire
Mitsdarfer’s daily schedule is packed: waking up at 5:00 a.m., teaching eighth grade until the early afternoon, working one of their two campus jobs in the honors office and the writing center, then going home to meal prep, lesson plan and grade assignments. On top of that, they do advocacy work for education and are a leader within the National Education Association (NEA) and the Pennsylvania State Education Association (PSEA).
To stay on top of it all, Mitsdarfer has found an immunity to keep them moving between all their responsibilities -- an ability that hasn’t gone unnoticed by PennWest faculty.
“Somehow Gavin does it all,” Mary Jo Melvin, education professor and advisor of the Edinboro Student PSEA, wrote in an email. “This type of commitment, persistence and drive is very atypical for someone Gavin’s age.”
At the beginning of the month, Mitsdarfer accepted the 2025 Edinboro Student Government Association (SGA) Advocacy Award. This is the second year in a row Mitsdarfer has received the recognition.
“I still get sleep,” Mitsdarfer assures, “Usually, I am in bed by 10. My body’s like I can’t function anymore.”
Getting enough sleep is what keeps them from crashing in the middle of the day, but what keeps them consistently motivated and invested is the variety of all their roles
They explain, “I think that [having variety] has helped me to not stay as burnout because I’m doing a whole bunch of things I care about, but they are a whole bunch of different things.”
Mitsdarfer thrives on the diversity of their tasks. Currently, they look forward to planning a national conference that will be held in Denver, Colorado, a welcome change from lesson plans and tutoring sessions. They also credit their students as a source of rejuvenation. In true teacher fashion, they say that their youthful students are what keep them grounded and energized. Mitsdarfer cares deeply for their students. As a parting gift to the eighth-grade class they are student teaching, Mitsdarfer handwrote 71 cards with personalized messages for each student.
“Yes, it took me like four hours to write those cards, but those smiles made it worth it.” they said.
The Power of Yes
Before Mitsdarfer became the head of a classroom and a voice in the union, they were a high school freshman looking for a way to get involved. While at a state conference, Mitsdarfer recalls the moment someone turned around and asked if they wanted to be regional president of the PSEA. They said yes with no hesitation and that decision changed the trajectory of their life.
“Now, the district I’m interviewing with is the district that the current NEA president taught at.” they said, expressing appreciation for the person who saw something in them
that day.
Four years later, Mitsdarfer’s career has almost come full circle, something middle school them did not imagine.
“I knew I was going to be a leader,” they explained. “That’s just something that I’ve been involved in.”
Advocacy is a lifelong habit for Mitsdarfer. Before high school, their father was diagnosed with ALS. Mitsdarfer rallied their local community to lead various fundraising initiatives that have since raised thousands of dollars toward ALS research. These formative years, combined with formal leadership training throughout high school, instilled in Mitsdarfer the professional passion and strategic skills that define their presence at PennWest.
Asked to describe Mitsdarfer’s legacy in one word, Richard Lane, a professor of Mitsdarfer’s, responded, “committed – which is the major quality teachers have to have.”
Agreeing that Mitsdarfer will be leaving a gap in the university’s community once they graduate, Professor Melvin wrote, “Gavin is an individual that we are very proud of, and we continue to be amazed by the level of commitment to education that is demonstrated by this individual.”
The Road Ahead
As graduation nears, Mitsdarfer is making the most of the time they have left in college and preparing for the next stage of their career.
Planning to be in their own classroom by the next school year, they are in the interview process for prospective teaching positions. An upcoming battle they are also planning for, though, is reestablishing themselves in their new environment.
“My biggest thing for the future right now is staying involved in the union and all that stuff because being an aspiring education student stops, and then you become the underdog. You become the lowest person on the totem pole,” they said.
Despite this obstacle, their five-year-plan remains unchanged: to get hired, get involved in their district’s local union, and run for a statewide office.
“That’s my goal, is to just be a teacher and make change in the classroom every day.”
For aspiring educators wanting to follow in Mitsdarfer’s footsteps, their message to them is clear: your experience is what you make of it. Their advice is rooted in the same philosophy behind the “yes” that changed their own life years ago.
“Take every opportunity given to you,” they advise. “Look into them. Taking those opportunities will change your life and change your world.”
Looking towards a career in Special Education, Mitsdarfer sees the roles of being an advocate and a teacher to be interlinked.
“Political advocacy is education,” they said, reflecting on the weight of the career they’ve chosen. “As a teacher, you are an advocate for your kids.”
From celebrating small victories in the classroom to addressing educational policies with local politicians, Mitsdarfer’s collegiate career has been defined by their devotion to education.
As Professor Melvin concluded, “Gavin deserves to be called a teacher!”