EMPOWER2EXCEL TUTORING SERVICES

01/25/2026

01/18/2026

Meet Dr. Wendy Okolo, who at just 26 years old became the first Black woman to earn a PhD in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Maryland.

Born in Nigeria and raised in a supportive family, she moved to the United States and faced significant challenges, including navigating cultural adjustments, financial pressures, and the underrepresentation of Black women in STEM fields. Despite these hardships, her determination and passion for space exploration drove her forward.

She earned her bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering from Stanford University, followed by her master’s and PhD, all while balancing rigorous academics and personal growth.

Today, Dr. Okolo is a program manager at NASA Ames Research Center, where she leads innovative aerospace projects and advocates tirelessly for diversity and inclusion in STEM. Her journey inspires countless young girls, showing that with resilience, hard work, and belief in oneself, barriers can be broken and dreams can take flight.

(Photo: Dr. Wendy Okolo)

01/18/2026

That’s absolutely true!!

01/18/2026

🌟 Honoring Dr. Margaret Hill – All About the Children Day 🌟
The SBCUSD community honors the life and legacy of Dr. Margaret Bynum Hill, a beloved educator, author, Board member, and champion for equity. Beginning her career in 1971 at San Bernardino High School, Dr. Hill went on to serve as a school leader, assistant superintendent with SBCSS, and a member of the SBCUSD Board of Education. Her lifelong dedication to children and community continued through her service with Kiwanis, Time for Change Foundation, and the San Bernardino Black Culture Foundation.

Dr. Hill passed away on December 19, 2021, leaving behind a powerful legacy of compassion, service, and advocacy for all children. In her honor, the Board of Education proudly proclaims Saturday, January 17, 2026, as All About the Children Day, celebrating a life truly devoted to students and community. 💜

01/18/2026

Routines, Expectations, and Responsibilities!

01/18/2026

Earlier this week, I was asked by the Brooksquad TV Audio Visual and Technology students what advice I would give their peers. I reminded them that education is more than grades—it’s about learning how to think critically, lead with integrity, stand firm in who you are, and remain mindful of the lives and paths you may cross along the way—advice that even adults should continue to follow.

As we approach the MLK holiday, I’m reminded of Dr. King’s belief that the true purpose of education is to teach us how to think, serve, and lead with courage and compassion.

Video Credit🎥:BrookSquad TV

01/11/2026

01/11/2026

Guess this is what they mean by teaching being trial and error. Both are accomplished when a seating chart is involved. 🪑

01/11/2026

Zaila Avant-Garde, the 14-year-old from Harvey, Louisiana, made history as the first African American winner of the Scripps National Spelling Bee. Since her victory, she’s been offered multiple full-ride scholarships, including from Southern University, LSU, and the Louisiana Community and Technical College System. A star athlete with 3 Guinness World Records in basketball, Zaila dreams of attending Harvard University and pursuing a career in neuroscience or gene editing, with aspirations to work for NASA or play in the NBA.

01/11/2026

He didn’t teach biology from a textbook.
He built a world and invited his students to step inside it.

In 1977, Emiel Hamberlin, a biology teacher at DuSable High School on Chicago’s South Side, transformed Room 333 into a living laboratory. Hawks. Snakes. Turtles. A raccoon. Hundreds of plants. Responsibility, curiosity, and wonder growing side by side.

Students skipped lunch. Cut gym. Not to escape school, but to lean into learning.

Hamberlin believed that if you changed a child’s environment, you could change how they saw the world and themselves. So he went beyond lectures. He made learning tactile. Risky. Alive.

This wasn’t spectacle.
It was strategy.

In a neighborhood surrounded by poverty and neglect, he gave his students something radical: a classroom that demanded their attention and trusted their intelligence.

This is what it looks like when education is treated as an experience, not a requirement.
When a teacher becomes an architect.
And learning becomes something you live.