Career Path of a 2nd Grade Teacher at KIPP Northern California
Initially intending to pursue a pre-med track, Nina's college experience led to a tutoring role and a United Way internship focusing on school attendance, where Nina "got a good taste of what it meant to be in a school". This solidified a career shift into education, leading to Teach for America, and ultimately, to Nina's current position as a second-grade teacher at KIPP Northern California.
Career Exploration, Education, Internships, Teaching, Nonprofit
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
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Traits
Nina Paoloni
Educator & 2nd Grade Teacher
KIPP Northern California
The University of San Diego, Class of 2018
N/A
Psychology
Education
Education
Scholarship Recipient, Took Out Loans, Greek Life Member
Video Highlights
1. Nina initially pursued pre-med in college but discovered her passion for education through tutoring and an internship.
2. Her year-long internship with United Way, focusing on school attendance and working directly with families and students, solidified her interest in education.
3. She participated in Teach for America for two years in eastern North Carolina, gaining valuable experience and strengthening her commitment to teaching before joining KIPP Northern California where she currently teaches second grade.
Transcript
Could you walk me through your career path, starting with your experiences in college? Did you have any internships or jobs before your current role?
Before college, I planned to be pre-med, either a doctor or surgeon. I pursued those courses when I first started.
Once I experienced the classes and learned more about the time commitment for pre-med, I realized it wasn't for me. I had to do some soul-searching to figure out what I might want to do next.
One of my classes offered a tutoring program for extra credit. That was my first experience with education. I worked directly with a teacher in a local elementary school, supporting her and her classroom.
My first big internship was with United Way, where I worked for a year focusing on attendance in schools. I worked with families and had my own caseload of students. This gave me a good understanding of working in a school.
After that experience, and hearing about the Teach for America program from friends, I decided to give it a try after college. I applied, got in, and started my Teach for America career in 2018 in eastern North Carolina.
I spent two years there, learned a lot, met great people, and built a strong network. This made me want to stay in education. After Teach for America, I moved back to California and ended up in Northern California.
I'm still teaching at the school I joined three years ago, Kip. I teach second grade. It's been a whirlwind with the pandemic, but I've learned a lot and I'm still loving it.
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