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 forunderserved students across our 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. Sofie is a Teaching Fellow at Navarro middle school in Houston, Texas.

Why did you decide to become an AmeriCorps Teaching Fellow?

The inspiration behind becoming an AmeriCorps Teaching Fellow was understanding the positive impact and relationships I can build with my students, peers, and the community in which I serve.

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

Being at Citizen Schools, one of the most transformative moments of service has been being able to implement my sense of creativity and perspective in to meeting the needs of the students while still building on the Citizen Schools mission and vision. This has led to meaningful experiences with the students and feeling confident that my students will succeed!

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

Through service and working with students in an underserved community, my eyes have opened in so many different ways. It has led me to wear many hats such as a teacher, mentor, sister, friend, therapist, confidant, and leader; to make sure that when students are with me, they understand that they are citizens of the world and can focus on building their futures and applying new skills. My goal is always to have them walk away at the end of the day feeling like they have achieved a little more, understand that they matter, and are one step closer to achieving their dreams.