{"689210":{"#nid":"689210","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Former Elementary School Teacher Reconnects with Students Years Later at Georgia Tech","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA College of Computing academic advisor recently experienced an unexpected reunion with two of her former elementary school students, one of whom she now advises.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI was placing an order from a food truck outside the College building when a student approached and asked if I remembered him,\u201d Briana Lampert said. \u201cIt was Hoc! It took me a few moments to realize.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EYears earlier, Lampert taught Hoc Nguyen and Cardin Ho in fourth-grade language arts and reading at Hambrick Elementary School in Stone Mountain, Georgia. Today, both are computer science (CS) majors at Georgia Tech.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENguyen first recognized Lampert\u2019s name while searching for his academic advisor during registration. \u201cI thought her name was familiar, but only when I met her in person did I recall she was my teacher,\u201d he said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAlthough he doesn\u2019t remember many details from elementary school, Lampert left a lasting impression. \u201cI remember that she was a very kind teacher and that the class liked her because of how nice she was,\u201d he said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAfter their initial meeting, Nguyen shared that Ho was also a Georgia Tech student. Lampert later ran into both students on campus while attending an event, and the three spent nearly an hour catching up.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThey were both lovely and full of personality, just as they are now. I remember how sweet and intelligent they were,\u201d Lampert said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThey were very close, even then, and part of a crew that included a group of smart and talented kids. I knew they would go on to do great things, but I had no idea that any of us would end up at Tech.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHo also remembers Lampert\u2019s approach in the classroom. \u201cI remember Ms. Lampert had lots of patience,\u201d he said. \u201cOur class, me included, really tested her every day, yet she always maintained it to keep us on track.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAfter teaching for five years, Lampert transitioned into academic advising. She started at Georgia State University in 2017 and moved to Georgia Tech in 2022. She said the move allowed her to focus on the part of education she enjoyed most.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe part of the job that I loved the most was one-on-one interactions with students,\u201d Lampert said. \u201cWith advising, I can provide the targeted support to students that I enjoy, but on a broad scale.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn her current role, Lampert works closely with students as they navigate their academic journeys, while focusing on empathy and connection. She is especially passionate about supporting underrepresented student groups and helping students access campus resources.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHer experience as a teacher continues to shape her approach.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt is important when working in higher education to remember that while Tech students are academically gifted, K-12 education does not teach a person how to \u2018be a college student,\u2019\u201d she said. \u201cThose skills are not inherent.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor Nguyen, having a former teacher as an advisor has made a difference. He also enjoys reflecting on other classmates and teachers he keeps in touch with, who were part of his early academic journey.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cHaving Ms. Lampert as an advisor is honestly quite nice,\u201d he said. \u201cIt makes talking about your goals and classes a lot easier if your advisor is someone you knew from your childhood.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENow studying CS, Nguyen discovered his interest in STEM in middle school, when he had more hands-on opportunities in science and technology.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor students considering the field, he recommends starting with personal interests.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cCS is such a broad field that there can be some parts you don\u2019t find interesting and others you do,\u201d he said. \u201cBy just starting with something you like, you can enjoy the learning process more and get the skills needed.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor Lampert, the experience highlighted the lasting impact of education across different stages of students\u2019 journeys.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cHoc reminded me that, all things considered, there is a short span of time between elementary school and college,\u201d she said. \u201cHe reaffirmed that educators are crucial at every stage of a student\u2019s life.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA College of Computing academic advisor recently experienced an unexpected reunion with two of her former elementary school students, one of whom she now advises.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EYears earlier, Lampert taught Hoc Nguyen and Cardin Ho in fourth-grade language arts and reading at Hambrick Elementary School in Stone Mountain, Georgia. Today, both are computer science (CS) majors at Georgia Tech.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A College of Computing academic advisor recently experienced an unexpected reunion with two of her former elementary school students, one of whom she now advises. "}],"uid":"36613","created_gmt":"2026-03-26 20:12:11","changed_gmt":"2026-03-26 20:17:46","author":"Emily Smith","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-03-26T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-03-26T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679746":{"id":"679746","type":"image","title":"briana3.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EBriana Lampert reunited with her former elementary school students Cardin Ho (left) and Hoc Nguyen (right) at Georgia Tech. Photo provided by Lampert.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1774555939","gmt_created":"2026-03-26 20:12:19","changed":"1774555939","gmt_changed":"2026-03-26 20:12:19","alt":"Briana Lampert","file":{"fid":"263943","name":"briana3.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/26\/briana3_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/26\/briana3_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":38261,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/03\/26\/briana3_0.jpg?itok=FWVbYRtZ"}},"679747":{"id":"679747","type":"image","title":"briana2.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EBriana Lampert serves as an academic advisor in the College of Computing. Photo by Kevin Beasley, College of Computing.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1774555997","gmt_created":"2026-03-26 20:13:17","changed":"1774555997","gmt_changed":"2026-03-26 20:13:17","alt":"Briana Lampert","file":{"fid":"263944","name":"briana2.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/26\/briana2.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/26\/briana2.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1144701,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/03\/26\/briana2.jpg?itok=-TFvX7Nx"}}},"media_ids":["679746","679747"],"groups":[{"id":"47223","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"660374","name":"School of Computing Instruction"}],"categories":[{"id":"42901","name":"Community"},{"id":"42911","name":"Education"},{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"}],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39511","name":"Public Service, Leadership, and Policy"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":["emily.smith@cc.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}