"When I first heard about WISD, I was working as a college and career coach. It was intriguing because workplace learning was right up my alley. I've always been about bringing someone's aspirations to life. What's incredible about WISD is the talented people. The team at WISD is incredible – from human resources to the business office. It becomes contagious – great ideas happening everywhere. But these aren't just great ideas; they're impactful and put into action.
We're trying to help folks have a plan and great experiences. When you visit and see the Career Technical Education programs, or CTE for short – medical health, construction, robotics – you realize students are choosing specific aspects of their education. The role of WISD in the community is about opportunity and equity. How are you going to build your community if you don't provide more opportunities? It's about promoting curiosity, exploring, and building cultures differently. We want folks within the county to understand we're doing something meaningful for our scholars.
My personal mission has always been about joy. My coaching background at Princeton and Cornell taught me to believe in people. You listen to what they want to do, and your job is to assist with the plan and pull them through. There are no conditions – we're learning. If they want to explore something, we find out what's available. Maybe they'll like it, maybe they won't, but we keep their creative minds moving.
You have to have your own style. Mine is joy. That's my personality. "Mahalo" is a word I use that comes from my coaching experiences on the West Coast. Working with folks from Hawaii and Samoa, I learned it means "thank you,” but it's more about being forever grateful. I try to bring a little bit of the island spirit to my work. The most joy comes from listening to young students and teachers, hearing their aspirations, and telling them, "Yeah, we can do that. Let's go!" I encourage them to explore, stimulate their mindset, and show them they can achieve things. Especially in this day and age, everyone needs someone saying, "No, we got this. We're gonna do it."
When you see our young scholars and what they're doing, you realize they just need access and encouragement. It's about understanding the real challenges students face – hormones, family situations, social-economic pressures – and still trying to make an impact in their lives.
Ultimately, it's about building a great community – meeting your neighbors by providing access, knowing who you are, and keeping young people curious. We try to make an impact in their lives, and we do it together. That's the piece you see – people giving their best despite the challenges, always focused on what's most impactful for our scholars."
Inspired by (and with special permission from!) the original "Humans of New York," the "Humans of WISD" storytelling project is uncovering what drives our WISD team and why they're passionate about their work in the district and in our community.