Why did you become an educator?
I became an educator to help make a difference in the lives of students and inspire them to become our next generation of leaders. Being an educator has allowed me to show students that they can make a difference in the world through education. With the growing amount of underserved communities, the students in these neighborhoods may believe that they can never see better, do better, or make a difference. Based on those potential student assumptions, this is another reason why I became an educator. My aim has always been to have an impact on the lives of my students daily by showing and reminding them that they are the change, and that they will be afforded the same opportunities as students in more affluent communities.
What do you love about your school?
My personal mission statement is, “To inspire, educate, and create opportunities for underprivileged youth, so they can be prosperous and self-sufficient leaders in their communities.” YES Prep’s vision, mission, and core values are aligned with my personal mission statement. In short, Yes Prep allows me to be the educator that I have always envisioned myself being, while also being able to stand by my personal mission.
Why is it important that lower income children can attend schools of choice?
I grew up in Omaha, NE where neighborhoods tend to be divided along racial and economic lines due to the residential segregation practices during the Civil Rights Era. These practices led to racial imbalances in the neighborhood schools as the city grew and annexed the surrounding suburban towns but did not consolidate the school districts they inherited. This meant that the suburban schools had about $400 more per student to spend then the public-school district that I attended because they had a higher property tax base than the intercity district, according to school board data. It is my belief that children in underserved communities should have access to a quality education that is not based on their wealth, family status, or the community that they come from.
