How Identity Has Influenced A Teacher At Teach For America's Career
Shaneli, a woman of color and Teach For America Recruitment Manager, shares how her identity significantly impacts her career, noting the challenges of "speaking up" as a woman of color in professional settings. The experience of being a role model for students of color, "showing them that a woman of color can be very successful," deeply influenced their career path and commitment to empowering others.
Overcoming Challenges, Leadership, Mentorship, Cultural Awareness, Advocacy
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Shaneli Mirpuri
Recruitment Manager
Teach For America
UCLA 2020
Relay Graduate School of Education; Masters of Arts in Teaching
International Relations & Affairs
Education, Nonprofit, Foundations & Grantmaking
Human Resources (HR)
Video Highlights
1. Shaneli's experience as a woman of color navigating her career, particularly the challenges of speaking up and advocating for herself.
2. Her commitment to being a role model for her students, showing them that people of color can be successful.
3. The importance of supporting students' goals and dreams by providing resources and encouragement.
Transcript
As someone who identifies as a woman of color, how has that impacted how you navigate your career?
As a woman of color, it's really important for me to reflect on how my identity affects my classroom presence and how I advocate for myself. A lot of the time, it's hard for women of color to speak up, especially when working with administrators or teammates.
I've always felt scared to speak up, which is funny because I'm very extroverted and spend hours talking to kids every day. It's particularly important for me as a teacher who taught special education in a low-income community, primarily serving next communities. Many of my students were children of immigrants from Colombia, the Dominican Republic, and Ecuador.
In my second year of teaching, every single student was a student of color. It was important for me to be a role model for them. As an Indian woman, I might not match their exact identity, and they have many identities just in their skin color. Still, I wanted to show them that a person of color can be very successful, explain how, and offer my support.
As a teacher, you can promote and encourage students' goals and talk to them about their dreams. You can be the person who lifts them up or shuts them down. I always wanted to lift them up and provide them with the resources they needed to succeed.