Academic Success In K-12 Public Schools

As an African American woman who has had much academic success in K-12 public schools, the disinterest and adverse belief my K-12 peers had toward education had always been of interest to me. In particular, why doesn’t he like school? Why doesn’t she like our teacher? Why does she think school is boring, hard or a waste of time? My questions then turned into wanting to understand the reasons why some students are separated out of particular classes while I saw the same peers in my high achieving courses. Therefore, my goal became to develop a better understanding and aid organizations and institutions that assist students, and students of color in particular, be able to academically thrive in the face of adversity. It has also been more important …show more content…
I received my Bachelor of Arts degree in African American studies, a Master of Arts in Teaching and doctorate degree in Educational Studies. My research focused on educational environments and programs that have positive impacts on under-represented students and students of color; and I also assist educational institutions with assessing how their programs are impacting students. I have been an adjunct professor and my work with high school and college/university students has been a significant part of my learning process when working with individuals of different cultural contexts. As an adjunct professor, my goal was to always create a learning environment where materials and methods used provided students with opportunities to see themselves and their perspectives in the curriculum through course content and my teaching and their learning methods. As a student advisor with an academic enrichment program, I used what I’d learned during my studies and my interactions with individual students in order to enhance my skills to relate and engage with them as individuals with particular needs that would assist them in being successful in their future academic and career …show more content…
I have had various opportunities to work with mentors and counselors that have invested time and energy in helping me reach my goals. I have grown to appreciate having a variety of educational and socio-emotional tools I can use to work on maintaining my intellectual, physical, emotional and intellectual well-being. Developing this awareness of myself has brought me to my decision to assist students, and their families, advance at the educational and personal level. Furthermore, the deciding factor that most impacted my decision to apply to this program, and influenced my career goal, is the knowledge that I could assist students improve the academic performance and emotional well-being by creating a safe space where others can experience the support I was fortunate enough to experience. My long-term career goal is to work more closely with teachers, students and their families. In particular, I look forward to helping address the emotional, social and mental health factors that effect students’ academic progress. I also look forward to assisting others feel empowered to care for themselves and seek resources and relationships that can enhance their own growth. As a student at Alliant International University, I believe there is a clear link between the PPS credential program at