Life of a Fellow: Juliette
Meet Juliette - one of our newest Fellows at Kensington Health Sciences Academy! Juliette recently graduated from Binghamton University with a degree in History. Before 12 Plus, she worked at a small law office and interned at a non-profit dedicated to supporting immigrants and refugees. Keep reading on to learn more about the days leading up to the start of her 12+ career!
Expectations vs. Reality
When I first got the call that I was accepted into the 12+ fellowship, I was elated. But as the months passed by, my mind was suddenly full of questions: Are we expected to go remote? What kind of school will I be placed in? Will I be a good fit?
Training began and my mind began to wander again, filled with both exciting and terrifying expectations. Each day I wondered, can I really inspire and motivate students? Will I be able to truly communicate with Spanish speaking students? And last but not least, will I really connect with them? As I am approaching the end of my first month as a fellow here at Kensington Health Sciences Academy, I would like to share with you all how many of my expectations were met with an incredible dose of reality.
Expectation #1: COVID-19 will ruin everything
False. I can say positively that even through the masks I can see each student’s smile, and I wouldn’t want it any other way. I am so honored that I am here to witness these students return to in-person school. I know how difficult remote learning can be and I can’t even begin to imagine the consequences of remote learning in high school. However, the pandemic has not ruined everything. I am excited and proud to be here in person each day, masked up, ready to support our students.
Expectation #2: I won’t be able to connect with the students
Also false. I don’t have a background in education and I never worked with students until now, but working at 12 Plus has been so incredible these last few weeks. I love being their go to person, whether it's just to chat, to beat someone at chess, or to talk about the future. And their ideas are so amazing! Each day I am inspired by what some of these students want to do, and their drive to get there. Despite all the obstacles presented during the uncertainty of last year, many of my students are just as eager to get out there and live their lives to the fullest.
Succulents were distributed to KHSA staff during prep week to welcome everyone back to school!
Juliette playing chess with a few of her students!
Expectation #3: My Spanish isn’t good enough for this job
Some of my fellow Latinxs will relate. For those of us who did not grow up always speaking Spanish at home, it’s hard to feel confident in our heritage language. It’s been years since I was able to go visit my family in Chile, or since I lived in my hometown where I could drink mate every morning with my abuelos. Naturally, I became nervous about connecting with our students who do not feel so comfortable speaking in English. However, this expectation was indeed false and my fear quickly dissipated; each day is a new opportunity for me to speak my second language, and to connect with students with backgrounds and experiences that are different from my own. It's also been quite a thrill learning how to play chess fully in Spanish.
Overall, I feel that the school year has gotten off to a beautiful start. I love saying good morning to each student and hearing about their day, and chatting with my site team. I feel supported and welcomed at KHSA and I am so excited to see how the year will go. I have a few expectations about the rest of this school year, but I am positive that regardless of any challenges, it will be wonderful.