AmeriCorps Member Spotlight: Kenya Brown

At Citizen Schools, no role is more essential to the success of our students than that of the AmeriCorps Teaching Fellow. Citizen Schools National Teaching Fellows create extraordinary enrichment and academic support experiences for the students we serve the nation. On a daily basis, Fellows deepen connections between schools and parents, help to develop social-emotional skills through mentoring and coaching students, and facilitate hands-on learning opportunities through our apprenticeships

This month we spotlight Kenya Brown who is a 1st Year teaching fellow at P.S./I.S 157 in Brooklyn. When asked what it is like to work on a team with Kenya, her campus director had this to say about her, “Kenya is one of the sweetest people I have ever gotten the opportunity to meet! Her dedication to her students is un-matchable. Her bright energy and laughter have an overflowing presence in every space she occupies. CSNY could not be any luckier to have such a kind, caring, and selfless teacher as a role model for our students!”

Read more of her full spotlight below.

Why did you decide to become an AmeriCorps Teaching Fellow?

I became a Teaching Fellow because I have always wanted to work with kids and I wanted to get professional experience working in a classroom.

One surprise that I encountered during my service was ______ ?

How fast the time goes, the school year is almost over!

What has been one of the most transformative moments of your service?

Seeing the difference in behavior from the beginning of the school year and now.

What is one piece of advice you wish you’d gotten before your service year?

Stay calm

One way that I feel supported by my peers and/or Citizen Schools is by ______ ?

being encouraging and suggesting activities to better engage my class.

How has service changed you and your perspective of the world?

Service has made me a stronger, more adaptive and caring person.

I feel the most inspired by ________?

seeing random acts of love.

If you could summarize your year of service in one word, which one would it be? Why?

Explosive.  Just like fireworks, this year has been a bit scary, beautiful and exciting.

After my service year, I hope to ____?

continue to give back to my community in any way that I can.

If I could describe a perfect day it would be______ ?

I wake up and walk to my favorite coffee shop and have coffee with a slice of pie.  Then I would walk to a bookstore and buy a book; sit and read for a bit. Then I would go home and take an afternoon nap.