My trajectory may have always been aimed towards education as a result of being raised by two career teachers, but as a child I wouldn't have envisioned it. Growing up in a blue collar neighborhood, I attended public schools until high school, when I had the privilege of attending the private school where my father taught. My path towards college acceptance, a stable career, and a solid life was fomented via engaging teachers in a constructive school climate while many of my closest friends from childhood struggled to graduate high school. The disparity of opportunity struck by the different schools my childhood friends and I went to has always stuck with me and motivated me, even as an adult.

After graduating from Saint Louis University in 2005, I moved to Taiwan for a year and taught English as a second language to children from ages 2-7. My experience teaching young children was incredibly rewarding. Teaching in Taiwan also provided me with a hands-on understanding of how education is approached abroad as compared to within the United States.

The experience that shaped my approach to education and educational policy the most has been my three years teaching at Frank W. Ballou High School in Southeast Washington, D.C. Ballou lies in the heart of one of the most impoverished and historically crime-ridden neighborhoods in the entire Mid-Atlantic. However, among the chaos and the anguish that often comes with living and working within such settings, there is so much opportunity – incredible talent, heroic children, parents, and teachers, and an often unwavering sense of hope. In my three years at Ballou I met some of the most inspiring people I have ever encountered, and they have and will continue to inspire me with hope in the power of education to transcend.

In my short time at Ballou I attempted to wear as many different hats as possible. I started an after-school Capoeria program, a boy’s varsity soccer team, helped lead a project to renovate my school’s library, and worked on numerous committees. Still, my biggest source of pride has been my work in the classroom. I have had the privilege to teach some of the most incredible students in U.S. History and Government courses. In my first year at Ballou, I was also granted an opportunity to take-over an A.P. United States History course that had not had a student achieve passing scores in at least a decade – and none were on record. Through three years, and countless numbers of hours plotting, planning, tutoring, lecturing, and staying awake stressed-out and wondering if I was doing right by my students, I was able to help pilot the growth of the course from 11 to 26 students and with the help of an amazing A.P. English teacher, turn it into a dynamic and burgeoning program within the school. Last week we received our first set of scores for one of our students. He passed both tests – the first student to pass either in at least 10 years – and received the highest score possible on A.P. U.S. History. We await the rest with bated breath.

My experience as a Classroom Fellow was an incredible experience that allowed me to experience first-hand how educational policy is crafted at the federal level. I was continually impressed by the skill and thoughtfulness of those who are engaged in educational policy in the Department of Education. Most importantly, I was able to meet some of the most skilled and inspiring teachers from around the nation, and I will be forever grateful for what I have learned from them.