Sources of Strength Adult Advisor – 2018-Present – Willard Intermediate School
The mission of Sources of Strength is to “provide the highest quality evidence-based prevention for suicide, violence, bullying and substance abuse by training, supporting, and empowering both peer leaders and caring adults to impact their world through the power of connection, hope, help and strength.” As an adult advisor, I worked with peer mentors to provide guidance and resources to create monthly school initiatives that would promote Sources of Strength’s mission.
Student Council Advisor – 2018-Present – Willard Intermediate School
After having such an amazing experience as ASB Advisor in California, I am fortunate enough to do the same at Willard Intermediate. As Student Council Advisor, I have the unique opportunity to work with student leaders to create the foundation for a brand new school. For Willard’s inaugural year, students are encouraged to create new events, initiatives, traditions and positive experiences for the student body. Take a glimpse of our staff and students with its dedication video below.
PBIS Committee Lead (Student Recognition) – 2015-2018 – Mercer Middle School
Cultivating a positive school community involves the dedication of all staff members and students in the school. One way to do that is to recognize students that exemplify characteristics of respect, kindness, ownership, positive attitude, and responsibility. As a member of the PBIS team for student recognition, I help to collect student nominees from all grade levels and facilitate the mode of recognition. In addition, I collaborate with the team by giving input for lessons on inclusiveness, empathy, diversity, and understanding.
This year, I helped found a new student club called the ROAR Club to recruit students with a passion for improving school culture. Using the knowledge gained as an ASB advisor helped organize and implement many ideas that students eagerly shared at their first brainstorming meeting. With weekly meetings after school, students created a “Shout Out! Box” to collect words of recognition that their peers wanted to give one another. Together, they created the marketing materials for the morning announcements, built the boxes themselves, designed Google forms to collect shout outs online, and paper slip designs. Students are currently working on new designs for the school’s ROAR Matrix, an outline of school expectations.
Fostering leadership skills within students is one of the most rewarding aspects of advising a student government and activities class. From running school events to hosting fundraisers, students encounter a variety of challenges. Because of these challenges, students reflect on their mistakes and successes and develop resiliency.
Students review feedback given on post-its to redesign their phone app.
Technovation is a global technology entrepreneurship program and competition for young women. After reading a statistic that noted how women in science, engineering, and technology are more likely than male peers to leave their industry, I was determined to recruit as many girls as possible into the Technovation program. In September 2013, sixteen 7th and 8th graders joined the club. Most of them were intrigued by the $10,000 prize, and did not start out wanting to pursue careers in computer science. However, after five months of brainstorming, practicing user-centered design, developing branding and promotion, estimating revenue, and creating pitch presentations, the girls were captivated by the field. Guest speakers (women in the technology field) were invited to speak to the girls and brought much valuable insight. We need more women in computer science and engineering, so I intend to advise a team each year.
ALMA students in front of the UC Davis student center after their campus tour.
ALMA – 2013-2015 – Rancho Milpitas Middle School
I believe that closing the opportunity gap is possible with structure, support, and determination. At Rancho Middle School, The ALMA Program (Advancing Latino/Minority Mathematics Achievement) aimed to do just that. In this program, I served as a math instructor to provide focused, differentiated, and game-based lessons. Furthermore, our model included an additional cultural component to connect students’ experiences and show relevant math skills in their lives.
