Hear what Gabby Law, a Summer Session 2018 Teaching Fellow, has to say about Breakthrough!
1. How did you become aware of Breakthrough, and why did you decide to get involved as
a Teaching Fellow? Did you have any teaching experience before Breakthrough?
I had always known a little bit about Breakthrough and what the program was about because it was in the same building I attended school in. I learned about the Teaching Fellow opportunity when one of my teachers and mentors said I should consider applying to be a Teaching Fellow. I also talked to Hena Vadher, one of the Student Support Coordinators, who told me a little bit about the program and application process and also encouraged me to apply. I don’t regret it at all!
2. In what ways has your teaching experience at Breakthrough helped you develop and
grow as an individual?
It’s hard to put into words exactly what Breakthrough does to you as a Teaching Fellow. The students completely change your perspective on the world. They are the most amazing, grateful, and dedicated group of students, and they just want to learn and pick your brain about you, what you know, and the world in general. Breakthrough has also reignited my personal curiosity in a lot of different subjects. I can also say that you won’t find a better group of people than Breakthrough’s Teaching Fellows. They are the most honest, dedicated, authentic people you will ever find, and the Breakthrough staff is also extremely supportive of the work that we do.
3. Can you tell us about an experience working at Breakthrough that impacted you or
that sticks out in your mind?
I had an experience recently where one of my students, who is so interested in the world and such a hard worker, met with me for one of our regular Teaching Fellow conferences. His mom, who normally works a night shift, attended the conference as well. She took time off of work to come to the conference with her son. It made me think about how dedicated the parents in the program are as well as the students, and I thought it was so touching that she would sacrifice her shift to come support her son and his progress in our program.
4. Where do you see yourself ten years down the line?
I’ll be 27 then! One of the big things that I’ve taken away from working at Breakthrough is that I need to work in a job that will allow me to help people and have a positive impact on others. Meeting a quota or just trying to make a certain amount of money is not as important to me as making differences in people’s lives, so I definitely hope to work in a job that allows me to do that!
