August 1, 2024 — This summer, NCTR participated in the UNCF K-12 Education Fellowship, which provided the opportunity for a college student to intern with our organization. We had the pleasure of hosting intern Mahogony Jules, a student of Bethune-Cookman University, who showed enthusiasm in learning about the purpose and work of NCTR and contributing to our marketing and communications efforts. We appreciated the opportunity to serve as the host site for Mahogony this summer and wish her well in her future endeavors! As she returns to school, she wrote an uplifting message to highlight her summer internship experience and her hope for the future in education.
As we embark on a new school year, I am filled with anticipation and excitement for the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead. The past year has indeed been a journey of growth and learning for me as an NCTR marketing and communications intern, supporting NCTR’s Black Educators Initiative (BEI). I had the pleasure of interning for NCTR as a United Negro College Fund (UNCF) K-12 Fellowship Intern. When I was first introduced to the UNCF K-12 Fellowship opportunity, referred to me by my mentor Jennifer Schaffer at the illustrious Bethune-Cookman University, I was ecstatic. Bethune-Cookman University, a historically Black college and university located in Daytona Beach, Fla., was founded in 1904 by Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune, a well-known educator and philanthropist, with just $1.50, five little girls, and her son Albert Bethune. This legacy has continued for 150 years, celebrating faith, education, love, hope, and respect.
Despite the unprecedented challenges posed by the pandemic, our community has shown incredible resilience and dedication. During the shutdown of the economy back in 2020, I brainstormed ways to impact my community, hoping to create a legacy similar to Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune’s, all from one room. This seemed far-fetched, but I kept my creativity, faith, and persistence. This mindset has led me to become the student intern and role model I am now for thousands of children across the country born in our Black communities looking for someone who looks like them to hear their voices, teach them, lead them, and inspire them with creativity.
I want to personally thank NCTR and BEI for making this summer nothing short of magical. I had the opportunity to attend virtual professional development events, listen in on team meetings, take notes within the growth sector of NCTR and be part of the creative and inclusive trajectory of upward mobility that NCTR and BEI are branching into. As I go into my senior year, I believe I am more than equipped with the needed tools and understanding of the K-12 educator sector to make the moves that will lead me towards creating a legacy similar to Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune’s, perhaps one day having my own performing arts school called the “Stargazing Academy” for the young, talented and gifted, helping me take a step closer to the dream created during the unprecedented times of COVID-19 when everything seemed blurred. It is the ability to dream big and outside of oneself that pushes an individual to keep going and inspire others.
I want to also thank all the committed teachers and teacher residents for their dedication to making the future of education inclusive and inspiring.
NCTR invites you to actively stay updated with its social media posts, as your involvement is crucial to advancing NCTR’s and BEI’s mission of supporting transformational teacher preparation and improving educational outcomes. Engage with NCTR on social media in making this school year one of the best yet!
“I leave you love. I leave you hope. I leave you the challenge of developing confidence in one another. I leave you a thirst for education. I leave you a respect for the use of power. I leave you faith. I leave you racial dignity. I leave you a desire to live harmoniously with your fellow men. I leave you finally, a responsibility to our young people.” ― Mary McLeod Bethune
Sincerely,
Mahogony Addalise Jules