“The Fellowship experience has been awesome for me both professionally and personally: Professionally, I have deepened my understanding of both technical and adaptive skills. I have become a stronger, more confident, and more connected leader. Personally, I have come to realize that we each have a unique set of gifts and talents; and we cannot…
“The Surge Fellowship rejuvenated my passion for social justice. By challenging me to think critically about my leadership, the Fellowship empowered me to take more ownership of my development and take greater risks. I’ve learned how to lead as a woman of color and use my background as a catapult. The skills, confidence, and awareness…
“My Surge Fellowship has been an amazing journey! I have learned so much about myself, my cohort members, and about the educational landscape in the United States. The lessons ranged from change management to effective negotiation skills, but the greatest takeaway for me is always leading as your authentic self. There is much work to…
“The Surge Institute Fellowship has immensely impacted my leadership. It has taught me the importance of intentionality, self-reflection, and active listening. I have already found these skills to be useful in my toolkit as I continue to develop my leadership style and vision for the future. Above all, the process has inspired me to access…
Grisel Maldonado is the Director of College Success at UChicago Impact at the Urban Education Institute (UEI). Maldonado oversees 6to16, UChicago Impact’s college success curriculum, and leads the development and implementation of The Success Project, a Chicago Public Schools-based pilot. The Success Project leverages work by the University of Chicago Consortium on Chicago School Research.…
“There are experiences in life that have the power to shape our forever, and Surge is one of those for me. I’ve spent my entire life and professional career noticing the discrepancies that exist in our society and how rarely I get to meet other people who look like me, share similar experiences, and have…
“The Surge Fellowship has been an important part of my development as a leader who shares the backgrounds of our students and who are fighting for their education. It has exponentially expanded my network, which in turn has made it possible to more efficiently and collaboratively expand educational opportunity for students. Additionally, this experience has equipped…
“The Surge Fellowship has been a transformative opportunity for me. It has been an investment not simply into what I do, but who I am. Through Surge, I am part of community of dynamic professionals who come to the work of education fully invested in creating a fair and equitable system. This work is personal…
“The Surge Fellowship challenged and empowered me to bring my whole self to my work. The myriad of experiences that constitute who I am make me a stronger leader, a resilient leader, and an authentic leader. The insights I’ve gained, combined with the ideas of other great leaders, will help us solve the critical…
“My Surge Fellowship experience has truly been life changing. It is easy to feel like an island in professional spheres where there are few individuals who share your passion, face the same challenges you have, or share a similar vision. Surge has enabled me to plug into an amazing network of energy, tenacity, vision, intellectual…