I was born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, a city shaped by the legacy of the Civil Rights Movement and generations of excellence. Growing up in that environment, I learned that leadership was about service. Inspired by Congressman John Lewis,…
My mom was an educator in the New York City public school system. She’s been a teacher her whole life, and a good one. It’s in everything she does. So maybe this was always written in the stars for me.…
I wanted to be a professional ballet dancer. At the end of my sophomore year of high school, I realized that probably wasn’t going to happen for me. I quit dancing and suddenly threw myself into high school. Within a…
Watch how community support for teachers leads to meaningful transformation in this inspiring story of a teacher makeover project.
In the back of my head, I think I knew from a very young age that I wanted to be a teacher. It was mostly about finding the right subject matter that got me super excited about teaching. I remember…
I grew up in Brooklyn and attended PS 169. I always wanted to be an astronaut. I was fascinated with outer space. I idealized it. Then, when the first teacher went up in 1985, there was that horrible accident where the…
My first summer during college, I worked at the Atlanta Community Food Bank with middle schoolers, running a summer meals stand. I loved spending time with them organizing activities, and there was something really energizing for me about working with…
The main reason why I didn't pursue getting my teaching license after graduating from Ball State is because I had my daughter. I graduated from college on time, and my baby daughter was on stage with me at graduation. It…
My mom was an elementary school teacher, but I had no interest in teaching when I was growing up. I told everybody that I was going to be President of the United States, and that was my plan from when…
My parents met working in a group home for adults with intellectual disabilities in Rhode Island. My dad stayed within that profession, moving all the way up to his position now. He's the commissioner for Connecticut Developmental Services. I grew…