Jonathan Chaparro (CHI’17) and Shenita Johnson (CHI’17) have been appointed to the BES National Board of Directors. BES is an organization that invests in leaders so that they can invest in their teams and students, delivering on the promise of an excellent education for every child.
Cristina Marquez (KC’20) has begun serving as an adjunct instructor at her alma mater, The University of Kansas (KU). “I have served and will continue to serve as a Field Instructor for MSW students and will also begin serving as a Field Liaison/Lecturer. This is a stretch assignment for me, but Surge gave me the…
(CHICAGO, IL – September 7th, 2021) As the Surge Institute approaches its seventh year as a national organization, the community is honored to welcome 15 emerging leaders of color who will join this movement as part of the 2022 Surge Fellowship cohort in Chicago. Joining the Surge family from all areas of work that serve…
Jacqueline Pickens is a Juvenile Justice Re-Engagement Specialist at Chicago Public Schools. “Participating in Surge will give me the space to learn from other leaders of color in Chicago. Many times, I doubt my ability to communicate my vision and don’t follow through because I find it difficult to articulate my ideas. I often hold back…
Scott Tillman is a High School College Counselor at Butler College Prep High School – Noble Schools. “Surge to me is an opportunity to be in community with other leaders in education. In community we learn and grow together and from each other.”
Julian Williams, Ph.D., is the Senior Partnerships Manager at Partnership for College Completion. “The Surge Fellowship provides an opportunity for me to connect with like-minded Black and Latinx educators. Engaging in equity-centered work is important, meaningful, and necessary. But it can also be isolating, uncomfortable, and stressful. The Surge Fellowship means that I will have…
Lucy Weatherly is a Director of Communication and Community Development at Intrinsic Schools. “The Surge Fellowship creates an opportunity for me to listen and learn from inspiring peers in a safe space. It will encourage me to peel away layers to create room for healing and growth to pay forward.”
Ugochukwu Ukasoanya is an Equity Policy Fellow at Chicago Public Schools. “Historically, systemic marginalization has played a role in the plight of Black and Latinx individuals and families. Racism, bias, and oppression has contributed to divided communities, segregated public schools, resource inequities, broken public trust, and called integrity into question. This fellowship will allow me to…
Tierionna Pinkston is an Instructional Leadership Coach at Noble Schools. “The pandemic has changed both the world and education landscape as we know it. I’m looking forward to learning alongside other leaders of color, as we redesign education so that it heals and liberates those families and communities we serve.”
Tiara Jordan is a Principal at Intrinsic Schools. ” ‘You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them.’- Maya Angelou. I am passionate about being a Surge Fellow because of the testimonies I have heard/witnessed from others who went through the program. We…