Kathy’s Story: Giving Everyone a Seat at the Table

Kathy’s experience at HTS inspired her to advocate for students who are marginalized.

Kathy discovered her dream of becoming a teacher while enrolled at HTS from preschool to middle school. Her experiences in the inclusive classrooms developed in her a passion for advocacy.

She is currently pursuing a career in urban education, and hopes to work with inner-city, low-income students of migrant families, amplifying the voices of those in marginalized communities. 

Read on to learn more about how Kathy’s early experiences at HTS have shaped the advocate she is and the educator she strives to be. 

What’s one word you would use to describe your academic experience at HTS? Why?

The word I would use is “empowering.”  My experience at HTS changed my life completely. The caring teachers and inclusive environment provided me with a space that nourished my talent, aspirations for the future, and academic curiosity to become the advocate I am today.

What are you up to since your enrollment at HTS? 

I’m currently enrolled in a dual degree master’s program as a history major, going into my senior year at University of San Francisco. I will receive a master’s in urban education as well as my social science teaching credential and bilingual authorization credential in Spanish. 

I also recently won a year-long national fellowship (Newman Civic Fellowship) for community service, where I will be able to collaborate with other college student leaders across the nation to come up with innovative solutions for the problems that marginalized communities face.

How did your education at HTS prepare you for college, work, or other aspects of life after graduation?

In more ways than I can mention! I have wanted to be a teacher since I was five years old because I loved the classroom and I loved learning. Now, as a college student, my drive to become a teacher has shifted. I hope to become a teacher because I am passionate about amplifying the voices of students typically marginalized in public education. HTS was where this passion began to stir inside me. 

From a young age, the inclusive classroom environment taught me that everyone should get a seat at the table, no matter their ability. No one should be left behind and we should involve ourselves in communities where everyone is valued.

A simple lesson has stuck with me even after graduation. I remember my fifth grade teacher at HTS teaching our class how to be “leaders for good.” In the classroom, being a leader for good meant making sure no one was excluded or left behind in our collective pursuit towards growth and improvement. In life, I have found that it means advocating for people around me and the communities in which I live. I have taken this deeply to heart in a lot of community service activism I have participated in throughout the years.

How has learning in inclusive classrooms changed your life for the better?

Participating in inclusive classrooms has influenced what I aspire to have in my own classrooms as a future teacher. Specifically, it has influenced how I cultivate an environment in which every student feels welcomed, no matter their ability or background.

In our world today, differences are often presented as negative barriers that separate individuals. At HTS, I learned that differences were not just normal, but actually crucial to creating an environment in which every student could thrive no matter their ability. This understanding is extremely important in our world today in order to build friendships with people of different beliefs, races, religions, etc. It is essential to develop a deep sense of empathy, understanding, grace, and compassion for others around us, which I believe our world deeply needs at this moment.

What would you tell someone who is considering attending HTS?

I would tell them to take the opportunity! The experience I’ve had and things I’ve learned at HTS I will never forget.

I fully believe that HTS is a model for inclusive, innovative, and life-changing education. I hope that the public education system can learn from this model because it would change the lives of students across the nation for the better.