What is your view of the job you perform?
The job that I perform as a Youth Empowerment Coordinator is meant to uplift students and support teachers. Students are our main stakeholders and the main target for academic support. Since I work to serve them, I collect regular feedback so that I can improve my services and customize my approach for each student. When teachers and parents/guardians support the students, it makes my job easier, as the more information that I have about the students, the more customized my tutoring can be to provide the right support for that student.
The teachers at Sherman Middle School are dedicated and understand the dynamic of creating a village for each child. They go above and beyond to ensure that each student gets the tutoring that they need. Working with these dedicated teachers, we are able to work together to ensure the success of each student. Special thanks to Noor, Diana and Nathan who are some of the teachers who approach their craft with a genuine caring for each student.
Kameka Chung-Lafferty
Sherman Middle School
What is your view of the job you perform?
Being able to provide support for students that set them up to have choices in their future is the most rewarding part of this role. As a Youth Empowerment Coordinator, I am able to help students build foundational skills, while also building relationships that they can lean on in times of difficulty. Along with a small team of volunteers I work to support students through routine tutoring, while also exposing them to individuals in our community that have various professions to help them find their own passions.
Alyssa McClelland
Blackhawk Middle School
I have been in this role going on 4 years now at Sennett Middle School. I love that urban league provides an opportunity for students across the Madison and Sun Prairie area to enhance and hone their education. SOH provides extra help to students who need it most and has helped a variety of students over the years. I love to hear about the growth stories that come from the students and sometimes their advisors as well. Sennett as a school screams diversity. SOH makes sure that we provide the opportunity to every student possible, no matter their walks of life. Sennett and I truly appreciate the hard work and hours our volunteers put in to advance our scholars.
DeVonte Robinson
Sennett Middle School
What is your view of the job you perform?
My view is that in Schools of Hope, I can help many students with different backgrounds not only to succeed in their grades, but to try to be their best version. This job presents challenges. I have students with many difficult family situations, students that have talents but need to have them cultivated. I believe that SOH is an opportunity to speak with students and show them that the world has bigger possibilities than what they might hear elsewhere. I also try to cultivate critical thinking. During these times, it is very important that students think for themselves. The most important thing that you can do to be really free, is to be able to express opinions with good arguments. Our students need to learn that the more they think, the more freedom they will have. But this freedom comes with responsibility. I have tried to speak with them about the relationship between actions and the good/bad consequences that we get from them. My objective is to create an educational community where students can develop strong abilities that will help them with their future.
Javier Cardozo
Gillespie Middle School
What is your view of the job you perform?
I give students a fighting chance at their education. There is so much that already may make learning hard, especially if you’re dealing with outside factors. I give students the ability to take control of their learning and really work at the areas the struggle in. Their able to see that no matter the obstacles that may come, they are still more than capable to get past the obstacles. Whether that be in learning or life. Also, I feel I make students understand the importance of education and ask for help. It’s okay to be smart and like school. It’s okay to ask questions if there’s something you don’t understand. There is nothing wrong with advocating for what you need.
Taylor Jones
Prairie View Middle School
Community
Hi! My name is Brinkley Fandek. I attend Prairie View Middle School. I love writing, music, and sports. How I get to experience all these activities is through a community. I think it is important for all ages to be involved in a community. By being involved in a community service event, or simply by going to a park and being around other people. But sometimes it might be hard, or you don’t know how to be involved in a community. Some ways that might help are, asking people you know how they get involved in the community. Or if you are in school, and your school has clubs, you could join them. Simply by joining a club you are a part of a community. Communities can be big or small, it really just depends on what you want to be a part of. Being a part of a community can really help build your social awareness, and help you improve on your social skills. I hope this makes you want to be a part of a community.
Brinkley
