Hello! My name is Stephanie Hernandez. When I first applied to the Prete Fellowship Program, I had no idea what to expect. I only hoped that the program would help me better discern my path as an undergraduate. As a fellow, I now know what a unique opportunity this program is. I have gained insight and a deeper understanding of teaching and the field of education through shadowing and working with my assigned teacher. Although I know there are many amazing teachers at Kellogg Elementary, I feel extra fortunate that I get to work alongside Mrs. Elder with her 4/5th grade class. I admire Mrs. Elder's teaching style and her dedication to each of her students' growth and development. Through her example and guidance, I have been able to contribute to their education in big and small ways such as: helping solve a problem, providing direction in sentence structure, navigating through different learning styles, and teaching a lesson. My favorite moments are always the times when I get to learn more about the students and how I can best help them.
Hello! My name is Alex Hamedaninia, and I am working with Mrs. Barriga's Kindergarten class. I applied to the Prete Fellowship program because I was interested in having hands-on experience working in a classroom, and I was recommended to this program by a friend and my advisor Dr. Riggs. In Mrs. Barriga's classroom, I work with a few different groups of students throughout the day on subjects that they have been struggling with, such as learning and writing their letters and numbers. I try to work with them in a fun way, such as playing number puzzle games or alphabet bingo to make their learning experience more fun and engaging. My favorite experience working with this class was not actually in the classroom -- it was on a field trip to the local high school, where they put on a Read Across America event. At the event, I watched and helped the students play the different activities and they were so excited to learn. Overall, this experience has been incredible and has really led me to highly consider a career in teaching.
Alison is a 2023 Partners In Education Fellow from the College of Education and Integrative Studies. Alison's passion lies in social justice reform, and she aims to dismantle systemic inequities through her contributions to the field of education. Her educational background includes transferring from community college and receiving her BA in psychology from San Francisco State University. She then worked for ten years as a paraprofessional, a mental health counselor, a consumer service coordinator with the Inland Regional Center, and as an administrator for Intermediate Care Facilities (ICF) nursing homes. Working within the medically fragile community cemented her views that all people deserve to experience a quality of life with dignity, while accessing the world without barriers. Primed with her beliefs and values, she left her job at the end of 2019 to pursue an education specialist credential and master's degree in special education at Cal Poly Pomona. She is currently in clinical practice and will complete the credential program this semester
Growing up, Joselin had a passion for helping others, and knew she wanted a career that would make a positive impact on her community. The education field drew her in. As a first-generation college student, the path to higher education was not easy, but she earned her bachelor's degree nonetheless. Constantly challenging herself and growing in her knowledge and understanding of the world, her first education job included working with kids as an afterschool program leader at Think Together in South El Monte. It was in this position where her peers saw her potential to play a larger role in children's lives, which motivated her to keep studying. She has worked with children for six years now, and during this time, she has developed the strong belief that every child should have the opportunity to reach their full potential, regardless of socioeconomic status. She is on a mission to revolutionize the education field.
Hello! My name is Justin Rebollar, and I am working in Ms. Salas' 3rd grade classroom at Kellogg Elementary. I selected the Prete Fellowship Program because I wanted to experience working with younger students and help them learn. I love tutoring the students and helping them develop their young minds as I have three younger siblings myself. As for my contribution to Kellogg Elementary, I have assisted Ms. Salas with organizing her class, helping students understand classwork, and tutoring individual students! So far, my favorite experience in the classroom has been working with the students on their creative writing assignments!
My name is Orion Universe, and I was lucky enough to be placed in the upper ARSD classroom with Ms. Lane and Ms. Moreland through the Prete Fellowship here at Kellogg Elementary. I applied to the Prete Fellowship Program because I wanted to work inside a classroom setting. My time in the classroom has provided me with a warm connection with my classroom and my students. I have been able to see first-hand what the real world for a teacher is like and have been gaining valuable information regarding instruction and how I can apply it to my own career. I have really enjoyed my reading and vocabulary groups with the students. Sometimes I will listen to them read aloud or I will read with them, and other times I will sit and do vocabulary cards to help them visually learn and sound out words. Luckily, this experience has only further reinforced my decision to become an educator as I know that I will enjoy helping students learn while also learning myself!
