07/13/2026
Ok it’s storytime…
She is headed to teach in Dominican Republic! 🇩🇴 Meet ayniah_34 , my CAU former student. Throughout the program, I had the honor of being her professor and eventually her mentor. In college, there is a chance that you would only encounter a professor one time throughout your matriculation. Ms. Payne and I connected immediately. I was not her advisor, yet she would appear faithfully during office hours.
This is a lesson that relationships are the vehicle to improve student outcomes. Because of our relationship, she felt safe and asked for my advice often. She was worried about being trapped in education and falling out of love with it, and I encourage her to explore all options when it comes to education. I pointed her to Aeriale Johnson and her love for student connections and her adventures in Alaska. I pointed her to Gary R. Gray Jr. and his priceless experiences teaching abroad. I shared with her the brilliance of Gholdy Muhammad and her passion to write curriculum that speaks to the heart of humans. There are so many more, but above all I realized how blessed I am to have some really amazing educators in my circle.
This.is.my.why.
I have the audacity to hope and believe that the next generation of teachers can and will positively impact the landscape of education.
S/n and yes she insisted I do a photoshoot at the end🤣
