Meet a Breakthrough student on the path to college Read their story!

Hear what Roosevelt Yang, a 2018 Summer Session Teaching Fellow, has to say about Breakthrough!

1. How did you become aware of Breakthrough, and why did you decide to get involved as a Teaching Fellow?

I became aware of Breakthrough through another Teaching Fellow who was in the program for three years. She told me that Breakthrough was a great experience and that I should try it. Before I applied I was working at an elementary school as a Behavioral Intervention Specialist. I found that I enjoyed working with kids, so I thought that maybe becoming a teacher was an option for me. This was one of the major reasons that I applied to Breakthrough Twin Cities.

2. In what ways has your teaching experience at Breakthrough helped you develop and grow as an individual?

It has helped me to become more self-aware of the changing world around me. This job has made me realize that as I am getting older the world is changing and kids are not being taught like I was taught. They are learning information at a higher rate as well as in different manners, helping them to retain the information.

3. What do you enjoy most about your job as a Teaching Fellow?

The one thing that I liked most about my position at Breakthrough Twin Cities was that I got to make a bond with the students. We learned together, and the students came to see me differently than a “regular” teacher. To them I became more three-dimensional, and not just a teacher, but a person that has gone through many different experiences.

4. What advice or suggestions would you give for someone else who wants to get involved with Breakthrough or apply to be a Teaching Fellow?

This job/internship is not normal. You work super hard, for very little. This is not a job for you to get rich. This is a job to watch students grow and change. You will work super hard, and at times it may be a struggle, but the end product of seeing the students be happy and willing to learn is the goal of the job. The job here is to inspire the students to aspire to be better, strive to learn, and ultimately go to college.

Breakthrough Twin Cities

2051 Larpenteur Ave E, Saint Paul, MN 55109, USA