Meet Kristen Akialis of Pioneer Preparatory School

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kristen Akialis.

Kristen, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Entering my senior year of college, I had everything figured out. All the late nights and early mornings flipping through flashcards of unipolar vs bipolar neurons, the hours bent over a lab bench extracting mosquito DNA, truly my entire life, had prepared me for the infamous MCAT, four additional years of grueling study, and then my dream. I had never once doubted that I was meant to be a doctor. And during these final preparations, I couldn’t help but feel undeservedly lucky. How fortunate I was to be able to pursue my dream career. It was in this moment, because of this feeling, that I decided to change my plan.

I forced myself to consider those who played the greatest part in my success. Of course, my parents crossed my mind more than once, but I kept coming back to one factor: teachers. And not just any of my teachers, because goodness knows I’ve suffered through my share of the boring and the unfair. It was my elementary school teachers whom I realized were owed the most credit for my successes.

They are the reason I can (happily) spend all day with my nose in a book. They are the reason I felt empowered instead of intimidated when I found myself one of few women in the class. They are the reason that I never doubted my ability to go to medical school and become a doctor. I firmly believe I was, and still am, no more exceptional than Joey from next door. But my teachers saw something in me that I was blind to, and they became my advocates. They raised their expectations and encouraged my young mind to work harder and think smarter. And I rose to the occasion. Without their support, I know I would not be where I am today.

I think it no coincidence the immense impact my teachers had on my life when considering the timing. All young students need and deserve a teacher that believes in them and their potential, especially on days when the math facts are slow and the reading is choppy. I learned not how brilliant I was, but how brilliant I could become, through hard work, from my teachers.

This is the lesson I hope to spread to as many young minds as I possibly can. This is why I joined Teach for America and find myself as a second-grade teacher at Pioneer Preparatory School. I may not yet know all the academic acronyms, but the sense of devotion and responsibility I feel for my students and their futures is overwhelming. If I accomplish nothing else in my time as a teacher than allowing my students the opportunity to prove to themselves how much they are capable of, it will have been well worth it.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
I think the road has been as smooth as could be hoped for, considering I dove head-first into an unfamiliar profession, in an area of the country where said profession faces endless crises. Having said that, nothing could have prepared me for the first day of school—shuffling twenty-five bright-eyed seven-year-olds into a classroom that didn’t yet feel mine, with plans for the day that were rehearsed but not perfected. Both I and my students have come a long way since that first day of school. It has been the biggest challenge of my life and yet a great joy to get to know each of my students and find the unique way in which they learn best.

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Pioneer Preparatory School – what should we know?
Pioneer Preparatory School: A Challenge Foundation Academy is a tuition-free, public charter school in Phoenix, Arizona’s Maryvale neighborhood, serving grades K–6. In addition to the 1+1 technology, great class sizes, wonderful programs, and monthly professional development, we truly have administration and teachers that care about the success of our scholars.

Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
I owe hundreds of thank yous and many favors to my fellow second-grade teachers. Since the first day of school, they have welcomed and embraced me as their equal, answering my ignorant questions and earnestly considering my ideas in the same breath. They are truly a blessing and I feel honored to be working alongside them.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://pioneer.teamcfa.school/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ppslions/

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