The class of ’08 has been busy! In the words of one alum, “There’s nothing like making it through two years with middle schoolers to prove that you can do anything!” Find out who’s making career changes, who’s moving to Milwaukee, and who’s cooking up a community in the world of culinary arts.
Sarah Papé (‘08) “I am still living in San Francisco and one CPR class away from being a California credentialed teacher! I’ve spent the last year student teaching in 1st, 2nd and 4th grade in San Francisco Unified School District. I went into teaching thinking I would teach middle school math, but have come to love the interdisciplinary work I can do in upper elementary school. I had a fabulous time student teaching, in part because of the teaching experience I had from Citizen Schools. The best part about teaching in SF is the amazing field trips we get to go on, including sailing in the bay and going to Muir Woods. I’ll spend the spring substitute teaching and finishing up my thesis for my Masters of Teaching with an Urban Education and Social Justice concentration. For my research, I’m looking at how traditional structures of school and traditional definitions of success tend to alienate male youth of color who come from immigrant and working class families. I’m doing my research at a bilingual elementary school in the Mission district in SF. In my spare time, I mentor high school students through an organization called Young Life. We hang out with them on Friday nights and take them to camp during school breaks. One of the highlights from last summer was learning how to surf with the kids! When I’m not spending time with kids, I try out restaurants around SF with Lindsay Poland and Kat White, go on hikes with Diana Vizcarra, and generally enjoy all that San Francisco and the Bay Area has to offer.”
Alexandra Stryker (‘08) “Currently living in DC, working in DC Public Schools teaching Computer Graphics at Bell Multicultural High School. I’ve been in touch with my neighbor and fellow Gavin Fellow Carmon Brown (’09), and I trade emails and winky emoticons with Suz Rothenberg, Kat White, Spence Bruce, and Angelo Cross, and my former Campus Director Brent Holsinger. I look back on my time with CS very fondly. It was a great foundation for handling the many demands of classroom teaching – management, engagement, lesson planning, relationships, even leveraging community and parent involvement. I definitely would not be where I am without the experiences I gained from the fellowship. I’m in my third year teaching Computer Applications and Graphics classes in DC Public Schools.”
Kat White (‘08) “After three and a half years as Director of Communications and Events for Aim High in San Francisco, I am looking for the next step in my career and a change of scenery. So, keep an eye out for my big move to a city near you (and just to be safe, have a karaoke bar recommendation at the ready). I’ve had a great run in San Francisco with fellow class of ’08 San Franciscans Marron Wong, Sarah Pape, Lindsay Poland, and honorary San Franciscan Brian Harrison, who came out west this summer to teach at Aim High. Also, I love seeing Citizen Schools Team Leaders teaching at Aim High – including, this past summer, TF Jen Fune and TL Shyla Caldwell.”
Marron Wong (‘08) “Hi all! I am still living in San Francisco, finishing up my last year of medical school. These days, I’m busy applying to residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology, where I hope to continue working with teenagers. I try my best to keep up with the ever-industrious Kat White and exchange occasional emails with Hae-In Kim and Rachel Walman. Now that I’m back on the interview trail, I continue to appreciate my time at Citizen Schools. There’s nothing like making it through two years with middle schoolers to prove that you can do anything!”
Christopher Conroy (‘08) “I’m living on Fort Hill in Roxbury. I work for Stand for Children–a political advocacy organization focused on education reform–as a community organizer. I keep in touch with Blake Rowley, Stephanie Adams, and Sheldon Johnson, but I have been lucky enough to run into Emily Msall, Emily Bryan, and Emily Raine as of late (anyone starting to notice a pattern?). Reflecting on my experience with CS always helps me keep in mind how wonderfully complex it can be to improve a school, how great leadership can make things simple, and how important it is to convene the expertise of parents, teachers, community members and alumni in order to understand how to improve educational opportunities for all children. Those reflections help drive much of the work I am doing with Stand. So, if you are interested in doing the same, let’s connect!”
Kay Owen (‘08) “I’m celebrating my first year of living in the Ocean State — Rhode Island! Last January, my work with the Rhode Island Teaching Fellows (RITF) brought me to “the biggest little state”, but it’s been the great community vibe, joy of being a homeowner, and wonderful neighbors that have kept me there in light of a recent job change. Specifically, as of October, I began working as an Executive Assistant for Colliers International located in the heart of Boston’s financial district. This career move was an intentional “down shift” that’s allowed me to spend significantly more time with family, friends, and non-work hobbies/interests — yeah, there’s such a thing — as well as complete my master’s degree part-time. Never the less, I credit the transferable skills honed as a Teaching Fellow for making the transition from the non-profit to for-profit sector an incredibly smooth one. Even though I’m not currently working with RITF, I’d like to encourage everyone that has completed Citizen Schools’ Teaching Fellowship and is interested in earning their teaching certification to check it out. In addition to being a rigorous and highly respected teacher prep program, RITF’s mission — making effective teachers for the kids who need them the most — is an ideal fit with the Citizen Schools experience, and the program allows you to begin teaching (and earning a full-time teacher’s salary) in the fall semester following your graduation from Citizen Schools. 1, 2, 3… Nice! In addition to seeing TF alumni and long-time Citizen Schools goddess Emily Stainer on a regular basis (she’s my next-door neighbor!), I’ve gotten to know some current TFs through the career coaching program and plan to stay involved with that initiative as long as they’ll have me 
I also love following current and former Citizen Schools’ colleagues and TF alumni via Facebook. For example, I’m especially enjoying staying in touch with my Austin buddy and new mom, Nicole DiMucci.”
Jesse Leavitt (‘08) “Yesterday on my orange line train home to JP from work at PBHA (www.pbha.org), where I coordinate training and evaluation, I ran into one of my former apprentices, Mardauche. He’s a senior now, at MATCH, and told me about the 9 colleges he’s applying to (3 of which we visited together when he was in 8th grade). He laughed about a few apprentices also at MATCH that were on our team, his spanish teacher, Angelica TF ’07, and former TF ’08 at the McCormack, Allison Cox. I mostly hear about Boston TFs by running into 8GA alumni on the train, although I did have a great time at Dan Goldsbury’s going away party, where instead of a beat the staff, Sydney Chaffee ’07 and I ran a “Beat the Dan” with an apprentice, alum, and staff (J. Mineo) playing Dan’s favorite “learning game” trash-can basketball. Eli G. was there, and pops up all the time in Boston (no pun intended on the Pops). Brian Harrison ’08 hasn’t visited Boston in over a year, but it was just his birthday, so I won’t dog him too bad right now. I keep in touch with Chris Conroy a bit – last time saying goodbye as he was leaving to work in NYC, then the next thing I hear a week or two later, he’s staying in Boston – was it something I said? Dave Bryson and I went to a wedding together in Maine – it was romantic, a little awkward with my wife there too, but we made do. Right now, I’m focusing on allowing the community to impact me rather than the other way around. How silly of me to think, at 22 years old, that my “new” ideas somebody in Boston wasn’t already working on. CS made me feel like I could do anything, for better and worse. My current inspiration and innovation comes through listening and learning. I volunteer ski instruct for Youth Enrichment Services (www.yeskids.org), and am on the advisory board for Leaders through Education, Action & Hope (www.bpsdeltas.org/leah), both of which will change the world for the next generation.”
Dave Bryson (‘08) “Currently working in Brooklyn, New York for Uncommon Schools as a School Operations Fellowship. Basically, if you split the role of a principal in half — one half instruction, one half operations — the fellowship trains people to become school leaders in a dual leader model. As it happens, the school where I’m apprenticing right now Brownsville Collegiate Charter School is the school where former TF/CD Amy Parsons is the Dean of Curriculum and Instruction! I always reference the 3 hats of the fellowship. Having those diverse experiences as a young leader really helped me grow in amazing ways. I’m lucky to be a part of an incredible team that succeeds in its goal of running a college preparatory middle school that is eliminating the achievement gap.”
Cat Biddle (‘08) “I’m still at State College in PA, working away at my doctorate in Educational Leadership, hoping maybe I’ll finish up in the next two years or so. My research is on rural school and community partnerships. I taught my first group of aspiring young teachers in Penn State’s undergrad teacher preparation program this semester and am looking forward to working with another batch next semester! Though State College is a little off the beaten path, the digital age makes it possible to keep in touch with Brian Harrison, Kate Senecal, and Spence Bruce, among others.”
Matt Sweeney (‘08) “For Matt Sweeney, plans have changed. He is on the tail end of a Rotary World Peace Fellowship, completing internships with UNESCO and Heartland International in Central America. Heading home to Chicago was the plan, but Matt is now headed to….Milwaukee!? His girlfriend Christine has just accepted her dream job there, working in urban ag with Will Allen at Growing Power! Plans have changed, indeed, and Matt is excited to figure things out in this “Milwaukee”, blending his interests in community and global education, social research, and public dialogue – socially anxious as he is. He’ll go back to school, too. He is in touch with Robert “Bibi” Kordenbrock, Johanna Pemberton-Littlewood, Vanessa Maroni-Brooks, Ali Stahl and Juan Lopez.”
Leanne Valenti (‘08) “Currently living in Austin, Texas. I am the Student Services Coordinator at The Natural Epicurean Academy of Culinary Arts (www.naturalepicurean.com). I went to Emily Schneider-Krzys’ wedding in October and got to see a bunch fun Citizen Schools folk! In my current role, I support professional culinary students to find externships in the community and launch their careers. I am thankful for having learned strategies for engagement, leadership training and community building during my time at Citizen Schools that I still use on a daily basis.”
Melissa Stewart (‘08) “Currently living in Washington, D.C. I’m a second year law student at Georgetown University Law School where I am a Global Law Scholar pursuing a certificate in Refugees and Humanitarian Emergencies. I’ll be back in Boston next summer to work at Foley Hoag, right around the corner from the Citizen Schools office, before heading off to Geneva for an internship with UNHCR. I keep in touch with Cat Biddle, Spence Bruce, and Brian Harrison.”
In other alumni news…
Check out this video featuring TF alumni Lia Shepherd talking about the power of Citizen Schools and building a strong community!
Also, be sure to check out this awesome video featuring our very own John Werner in action as he speaks about transformational change in education!
