Check out what Shana Dukes, a 2018 Summer Session Teaching Fellow, has to say about Breakthrough Twin Cities!
1. What did you enjoy most about your job as a Teaching Fellow?
The thing I enjoyed the most was the opportunity to build relationships with my students. I became attached to the positive energy of the Breakthrough students. Every morning when the bus pulled up and my students got off, I knew that no matter how many hiccups I might experience, their smiles and good vibes would always bring me through.
2. Can you tell us about an experience working at Breakthrough that impacted you or sticks out in your mind?
I was sitting in my elective course and one of my students and I were joking back and forth. She looked at me and said, “Shana, I just feel like you know me, you just get who I am, you are like my best friend.” In that moment, everything that I had been doing seemed worth it – the lesson planning and staying up late. Being able to not only impact someone academically but personally made me feel like I had won the lottery.
3. What advice or suggestions would you give for someone else who wants to get involved with Breakthrough or apply to be a Teaching Fellow?
When you are applying for Breakthrough, apply with the mindset that “I am going to be more than a teacher.” I say this because here at Breakthrough, we are more than teachers. We are teachers, friends, students, partners, and, most importantly, family. The Breakthrough Teaching Fellows Program is more than a summer job. This is an experience that will change your life.
4. Where do you see yourself in ten years?
In ten years, I see myself in the field of education. I’m not exactly sure in what capacity, but education is definitely where my heart is.
