Traci's passion for helping youth of color feel seen, heard, and supported continues to guide her career path after the corps.

Q&A

Why did you decide to author a children’s book after the corps?

As a middle school teacher in the Las Vegas Valley, I noticed a need for our youth to feel celebrated. The lack of representation in contemporary educational literature is disappointing. Through Casmalia Street, a multi-series literary company, we help bridge the diversity gap in children’s literature and showcase storylines that any child can relate to. My goal is to normalize diverse experiences while challenging children between the ages of 3 to 7 to dream big and take pride in their cultures and heritage.

What is the most challenging aspect of teaching? What is the most rewarding?

Work-life balance. Being both a teacher and author requires a ton of time and emotional investment. On the other hand, the return on that investment is ongoing, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. It’s energizing to know that just one life is being changed or made better along the way, which outweighs the challenges.

What is the biggest lesson you learned as a corps member?

One of the lessons I learned that still holds true is that if you focus on the work, the results will follow. Life will throw a million distractions at you, and it is easy to lose focus on the big picture. However, there will always be work to do, and if you are doing work that you find valuable and fulfilling everything will work itself out.