For the second year in a row, the Maya Angelou Schools & See Forever Foundation will be partnering with the Education Pioneers Summer Fellowship program. This summer, we have welcomed three passionate individuals who bring a wealth of knowledge and experiences to our organization.

Read their bios below to find out more about their previous experiences and goals for the summer!

Michael Lok first found his place and passion in the classroom. After college, he worked at a middle school in Boston that experimented with small-group teaching and blended learning. Using data-driven lesson planning and collaborating with parents and school staff, his students were able to achieve remarkable growth – the majority of his students attained student growth percentiles of 80% or higher on their standardized PARCC tests.

This summer, Michael will join the data team to analyze enrollment data for future decision-making and strategy-planning. He will also be working with the leadership team in transitioning to a new platform for increased productivity and efficiency.

Rachel Lucero is an Education Pioneers fellow working on building out an Individual Learning Plan (ILP) framework for students at Maya Angelou Public Charter Schools.  The ILP provides a system for a student’s support team to track a student’s progress and goals in academic as well as social and emotional domains throughout their time at MAPCS.   Prior to joining MAPCS, Rachel taught Math and Physics at Dunbar High School in DC Public Schools, where she will continue teaching this fall.  Her previous experience includes work in the healthcare IT industry as a technical analyst manager. She is currently pursuing her Master of Science in Education at Johns Hopkins University and earned a Bachelor of Science in Bioengineering at the University of Washington.

Vanessa Vaughn completed her undergraduate business studies at The University of Texas at Austin. However, her senior year, she was introduced to the problem of educational inequity and decided to forgo a career in the private sector to join Teach for America (TFA). Vanessa taught 8^th grade math at a failing charter school for two years in Baton Rouge, LA. During her time as a classroom teacher she saw how the challenges facing her students at home greatly affected their ability to learn in the classroom so, upon completing her TFA commitment, she joined Habitat for Humanity of Greater Baton Rouge. Coming from undergraduate studies in business, Vanessa became frustrated with the inefficiencies she encountered in the non-profit sector so she determined to gain her MBA at Johns Hopkins University where she is currently a 2019 candidate. Vanessa is greatly looking forward to her time as an Education Pioneers Fellow at See Forever Foundation this summer as she will be able to combine her studies in business with her passion for the education sector.

For more information about the Education Pioneers program, please visit www.educationpioneers.org