Inside the Classroom with Sabrina
In Fall 2014, I became a Democracy Coach at the High School for Public Service in Brooklyn, New York. Before the first class, I was extremely nervous. I wasn’t sure if 32 high school seniors and juniors (and one sophomore) would laugh at the 17-year old college freshman trying to boss them around. However, I felt absolutely amazing after that first class. What felt great about it was that my students believed in me and had faith that I would dedicate time and effort for their cause. I explained that while I couldn’t guarantee a complete change in the world, I would make sure that their voices would be heard and that together we could make a change in their community.
Together, my students and I created the concept of a college-readiness course in an attempt to better prepare students for life after graduation. My students felt as though they did not know how to handle anything on their own such as building a resume, applying for a job, budgeting their money, or even opening up a bank account. These students created this idea so that they could have a head start when entering the “real world.” Our action plan included a survey to students who would be taking this preparatory course and a sample curriculum that we later showed to the school administration. The best part of our project was that my students were motivated on their own terms and they were determined to get the results that they wanted--which they did! They ended up getting approval from the principal to make their class “Real World Prep” an option for seniors starting in the spring semester. Seeing their hard work and dedication motivated me to do whatever I could to help.
While I was the person who taught them about advocating for a cause, they ended up teaching me more than I could have ever expected.
When presented at Fall 2014 Civics Day, Sabrina’s tenacious class was awarded the “Change Makers Award.”
This semester, Sabrina serves as GC at Pace’s Education Director and Vice President.
