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How Identity Has Influenced A Reading Implementation Success Manager's Career At Learning Ally Audiobook
Danielle's experience as a first-generation student and young parent significantly shaped career choices, leading to a career in education where "educators are not paid accordingly," but the impact was rewarding. This dual identity informed decision-making, balancing financial needs with a desire for meaningful work, ultimately leading to success by fostering strong student relationships and leveraging "a greater resource" for families.
Education, First-generation college student, Young parenthood, Career impact of identity, Work-life balance
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 experience as a first-generation student significantly influenced her career choices, leading her to prioritize professions with a strong societal impact, even if they didn't offer the highest salaries. This is valuable insight for students considering careers where passion and purpose outweigh immediate financial gain.
2. Balancing parenthood and a demanding career early in life shaped Danielle's approach to work and family. Her perspective on this unique challenge offers a relatable experience for students navigating similar circumstances.
3. Danielle's ability to connect with students and parents due to her shared experiences as a young parent and first-generation student demonstrates the value of diverse backgrounds in education and related fields. This highlight underscores the importance of lived experience in professional success and building rapport.
Transcript
As someone who identifies as a young parent and a first-generation student, how has that impacted how you navigate your career?
As a first-generation student, my career choices were greatly impacted by deciding to go into education. I knew educators are not paid accordingly or seen as a high-earning career path. This was important to me because I knew I wouldn't be earning a high salary, but I would make a great impact.
That also drove my decision to do Teach for America. They offered subsidies for a master's degree, which would help my potential earnings. The potential earnings were also a contributing factor for desiring a higher income because I was a young parent.
I had a child at 21 while being a college student and desired to help provide for the family I had created. Teaching was not always seen as the best option for me, but it was for making the greatest impact. It also helped me parent my child in a way different from how I was parented. I had a wider range of techniques and information and could see what worked well with different temperaments of children. It aided me as a young parent who didn't know what I was doing.
Being young and in education affected my career path and led to a lot of success. I was able to relate to my students, especially my older students in middle and high school, in a different way. This created a greater bond between us, which aided me a lot and helped me have a greater impact because I was more connected to them.
Being first-generation also helped a lot when I was teaching high school and middle school. I could talk with parents from a place of experience, suggesting programs and things I was familiar with. I could be a greater resource for them.
My children ended up going to the school where I worked. This served me well in being able to vet schools and see what would be beneficial for them from an educator's standpoint because I was within the school.
It informed my decisions and helped me stay focused. It also helped me lead with my heart, not just looking at things from an income perspective but from an impact perspective, because I was a mom and first-generation.