The 3 Hidden Messages in an ACE Teacher Staying a Third Year
OUR STUDENTS AND COMMUNITY HAVE WON (HER/HIM OVER). And why wouldn't we? Our students are resilient and surprise us every day. Our community is vibrant and like none other. Yet, in our schools, we must remind students that they have value and a voice that can change anything, everything.
"I fell in love with my students, the school, and the mission," said Alexa Aragon, ACEgraduate who is staying a third year at GRMSin 2017-2018. "I want to be there to see the 6th grade class I started with graduate."
"Not all ACEers can stay, even if they want to," said Michael Motyl, GRMS President and ACE + ACE Leadership graduate." Some schools can not accommodate an ACEer who wants to stay because of resources or timing. But when it does work out, everyone is usually motivated by all the right reasons."
2. THERE IS WORK TO BE DONE. Most of our ACE teachers who stay a third year or stay connected to the school by becoming loyal donors, do so because they know they can have a significant impact. ACE school sites and/or their cities are traditionally under-resourced. ACE teachers and graduates can provide an outside perspective and experience for smaller communities where students and their families have fewer opportunities to leave the area.
"I'm excited to be the Student Activities Coordinator because I think the extracurricular opportunities we provide at GRMS are very important in educating the whole child and opens more doors in the future," said Aragon. "I'm looking forward to doing what I can to enrich these experiences."
"ACE puts young people who want to make a difference right in the heart of it all," said Motyl. "They are there to sustain and strengthen Catholic schools. There is work to be done, especially in a school like GRMS. It's not a job, it's a mission. A mission to make God known, loved, and served. When you've been living that mission everyday for two years, it can be hard to imagine doing anything else."
3. WE ARE IN IT TOGETHER. This is the true message - that our mission is tried and true and she/he is willing to stay after their program to partner with committed, local teachers, the administration, the students and their families, and a conscientious community to continue to lift that mission.
"I realized the values of GRMS strongly align with my personal values." -Aragon
About ACE
The University of Notre Dame’s Alliance for Catholic Education (ACE) sustains and strengthens under-resourced Catholic schools through leadership formation, research and professional service to ensure that all children, especially those from low-income families, have the opportunity to experience the gift of an excellent Catholic education.
About GRMS
Guadalupe Regional Middle School provides a tuition-free, quality Catholic education to boys and girls in grades six, seven, and eight whose families desire but cannot afford a Catholic education. This academically challenging school teaches its students how to live the gospel values of love, justice, self-discipline and respect for others with the goal that they become the future leaders of the Brownsville civic and church communities.
