Leadership After The Corps

How do you build and strengthen your leadership outside of the classroom?

Outside of the classroom, I love working with athletes to improve fitness and health.  Football was my first love as a sport and I continue with coaching the linebackers at Caldwell High School.  In my time outside of Caldwell High School, I coach weightlifting and gymnastics at Snake River CrossFit in Nampa, Idaho.  With Teach For America, the Alumni Board keeps me connected with new and incoming corps members in Idaho.

Share a little bit about your work with Snake River Crossfit. How did you bring your students into something you are passionate about?

Acceleration Academies have been an outstanding opportunity to share community and health with students at Caldwell High School.  The initial versions of these service projects began at Caldwell High, teaching students to lift weights with proper form, use nutritional skills to build muscle and improve community with positive life and leadership decisions.  

The progression from the first Acceleration Academy to the most recent has culminated in the awarding of nearly $1000 in scholarships to student leaders at Caldwell High each year.

How does developing your leadership outside of the classroom impact your leadership within your classroom? Why is this essential?

Leadership outside of the classroom helps hone the purpose and vision of why we serve our community with education.  Each leadership decision I have made since moving to Idaho has been based in increasing educational equity and opportunity for my students and athletes. It is essential to model the change you hope to see in your community and live that purpose with virtue.

As an alumni teaching at your placement school in Idaho, how do you hope to influence your school and community moving forward? Has your experience or perspective changed since your time as a corps member?

I hope to create greater opportunity for my students in the classroom, improve the lifestyle choices of my athletes on the football field and building physically and emotionally strong communities at Snake River CrossFit.  My perspective has shifted from shaping leaders in the classroom to shaping leaders that can impact our communities, cities, countries and world more broadly.