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Fellow Profiles
Pauline Nishi Degree: B.A., Art History, UC Santa Barbara Pauline received her degree in Art History from the University of California, Santa Barbara. Prior to her career change through Oakland Teaching Fellows, Pauline worked in a number of education-related positions, ranging from student financial aid counselor to substance abuse counselor. As an entrepreneur, she also launched a successful independent catering and gift basket business. Through OTF, Pauline has combined her commitment to students and her knowledge of business practices to help the students in her special education young adult transition program launch and help run a lunch bistro. When asked about her teaching experiences in Oakland, Pauline says, “I am most excited by the potential for improvement in the young adult program. Transition is a critical period for our youth, as they phase out of the school system and prepare to enter the adult world. My credential studies at SF State are immediately applicable to my program. I have been given the green light by OUSD to dream big and devise ways of helping students access the community successfully. I get a lot of encouragement to do the best that I can – utilizing all of my past experiences.”
Alykhan Boolani Degree: B.A., AfricanStudies, Brown University Teaching Position: Math, East Oakland School of the Arts A native of Oakland, Alykhan worked at the National Lawyer’s Guild in San Francisco prior to becoming a Teaching Fellow. In 2006, Alykhan decided he was ready to change his career path. “I was tired of working for social justice in the non-profit industrial complex. I got tired of trying to change things about my community by sitting behind a computer screen and organizing databases. Teaching is the opposite of that. It is exciting, it is different everyday, and I never have time to look at the clock.” Alykhan decided his talents and experiences would be most effective in a classroom setting. “I came to teaching because of my own experiences as a person and student of color in a nation that has repeatedly shown its limits for people of color. The school is at the intersection of it all; it is one of the only places in our segmented society where race, power, and class consistently and honestly interact, and where the fight against the domestication of our youth and the maintenance of white supremacy are wars that a teacher can wage. I teach because I am trying to work against the inequalities in education.” Alykhan wants to give his students the tools they will need to succeed in school and in life. He believes that education is the great equalizer. Alykhan’s passion for change led him to the Oakland Teaching Fellows because it offered him the opportunity to make an immediate impact on students. He is now embarking on his second year in the classroom and he admits that the first year is the most difficult. “All the rumors are true. Some days I felt like I was barely getting by, but that has changed dramatically in a year’s time. This is the only truly challenging thing I have ever done. By comparison to other “hard” things I’ve done, teaching seems to exist in a plane all on its own. But that’s just one half of the equation: teaching a young person something they did not know before is a unique moment. You can actually see, hear, and feel a young one get better at something.” Alykan’s advice for future Fellows, “Stick with it, and see where teaching in Oakland takes you.”
Mary Claire L. Gatmaitan Degree: M.A. Education, Special Education, San Francisco State University M.A., Education, Organization and Leadership, University San Francisco B.A.,Political Science, UC San Diego Teaching Position: Special Education, Skyline High School
Mary Claire spent over a decade working in the non-profit sector before joining Oakland Teaching Fellows. She decided to enter the teaching profession because it allowed her to have a more direct impact on student success while also allowing her to utilize her creativity. Today Mary Claire enjoys designing lessons and assessments that measure her students’ growth and progress. When asked to describe her teaching experience thus far, Mary Claire says, “Teaching is the hardest thing I’ve ever done. Every day is challenging and rewarding. Nothing compares to the gratification I feel when I have connected with a student and I eventually notice how much he/she has progressed.” Mary Claire admits that there are many challenges a classroom teacher faces. “Behavior issues arise repeatedly when working with students with disabilities. However, it is exciting to figure students out and chip away at the issues to finally break through.” Mary Claire spends extra time observing her students and assessing what skills they need to develop in order to be most successful. She also spends a lot of time working with her students’ parents to develop strategies that can be utilized at home and school. She is determined that all students have the ability to learn, achieve, and contribute to their community. She takes her students into the community 2-3 times a week. They have a weekly Cooking Integrated Program, and plan annual fundraisers. Her goal is to provide her students a quality education that will benefit them throughout their life. She offers this advice to future Fellows, “Wear an imaginary backpack of strategies and tools and be ready and vigilant. Never give up and continue to advocate for what is best for your students. Always put your game face on, wear running shoes, have hand sanitizer, and know where the bathroom is. To be effective, take care of yourself by getting enough sleep, exercise, healthy nutritious food, and plenty of down time.” |
