Career Path of a Reading Implementation Success Manager at Learning Ally
Danielle's career path began with an "undeclared" status at Loyola Marymount University, evolving through their teaching program and Teach for America into early childhood education. After teaching in LAUSD and the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, a transition to a nonprofit educational technology company marked a recent shift from the classroom to "the equivalent of an account manager," a role Danielle started just four months ago.
Career Exploration, Education, Nonprofit, Career Transition, Early Childhood Education
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Danielle Scott
Manager, Reading Implementation Success
Learning Ally Audiobook
Loyola Marymount university
Loyola Marymount University/ Early childhood development
Education
Education
Education
Scholarship Recipient, Pell Grant Recipient, Took Out Loans, Worked 20+ Hours in School, First Generation College Student
Video Highlights
1. Danielle's career path highlights a willingness to explore different fields. Initially undecided, she pursued teaching after exploring various academic options and landed on a teaching program. She leveraged this experience by applying to Teach for America, gaining valuable experience and eventually earning a dual Master's degree in Early Childhood Education and Program Administration.
2. Her career demonstrates adaptability and a proactive approach to career development. Facing challenges in early childhood education, she transitioned to different grade levels (second grade, ninth grade) and roles (academic advisor) to find a better fit and gain broader experience. This highlights the importance of identifying challenges and pursuing opportunities for growth.
3. Danielle's transition from teaching to a nonprofit, specifically an educational technology company, showcases a successful shift into a related field using her teaching experience and skills. This transition demonstrates the transferability of skills from education to other sectors such as program management, account management, and educational technology.
Transcript
Could you walk me through your career path, starting with your experiences in college? Any internships or jobs you had before your current role?
I went to Loyola Marymount University for both my undergraduate and graduate studies. Before college, I didn't have any formal work experience. I started college undecided, as I wasn't sure what I wanted to pursue.
I had an idea of possibly going into broadcast journalism, but I wasn't certain. By the end of my freshman year, I decided to take being undeclared seriously and explore different subjects. That's how I discovered the teaching program at LMU.
During that program, I was required to visit various schools in the area. These site visits helped me determine which grade level, special education, or content area I wanted to teach. I ultimately settled on elementary education.
At the end of my junior year of college, I applied for Teach for America and went through their application process. I was accepted into the LA Corps. I pursued early childhood education for my undergraduate degree and then attended graduate school at LMU.
My graduate program offered a dual Master's degree in Early Childhood and Program Administration and Management. This led me to teach in LAUSD and Head Start schools, focusing on early childhood education.
After having my own child, I found that early childhood education was not ideal for my mental health. It was difficult to go home and teach students who were around the same age as my child.
So, I decided to move up in grade levels. I transitioned out of LAUSD and began teaching second grade in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. Then, I moved from second grade to teaching ninth grade English and religion at a Catholic high school.
I also served as an academic advisor for freshmen and sophomores at that high school. After the pandemic, I moved back to middle school.
Recently, I transitioned out of the classroom and am now working in the nonprofit sector. I am an account manager for an educational technology company. Next week will mark four months since I left teaching, having stopped on November 14, 2022.