Instructor Spotlight: MAPCS Vice Principal, Steven Foster
At first glance, Steven Foster – vice-principal of the Maya Angelou Public Charter School – seems to have super-human abilities. On any given day at MAPCS, you’ll see him checking in with a student, then turn a corner and notice him working diligently with a teacher in the classroom. Not five minutes later, you’ll catch him in deep conversation with a parent in the Family Engagement Center.
Mr. Foster, as the students know him, seems to be everywhere at once.
The magic involved, however, is due solely to Mr. Foster’s dedication to MAPCS students and the Maya mission. When he first started as a long-term substitute at MAPCS, a student introduced himself and stated matter-of-factly that Foster would leave in a few months like everyone else. So Foster made it his purpose to come in every day, work hard, and communicate to his students that their education is his most important priority.
As vice-principal, Mr. Foster is charged with spreading this same message to all MAPCS students. His own story is a valuable tool in relating to the variety of students MAPCS serves. Upon graduation from high school, Foster knew he was not yet ready for the challenges of college. He joined the Air Force to give himself an opportunity to mature, and served for 3 years in New Mexico as part of Operation Desert Storm. When he got out of the military, he knew school was now a viable option – as well as key to his future success as an educator.
Foster’s favorite part of the job is seeing students achieve similar success after they leave MAPCS. “Nothing brings a smile to my face quicker than to receive a FB request from a student who is now working, or to see a student showing off a college report card or graduation picture on Instagram.”
Mr. Foster’s mentoring is instrumental to all of the success MAPCS sees in its students, so although he’s not magic, he is certainly super-human to us.