B.A. Harvard University, 2023
M.A. Stanford University, 2024
Bernadette is an inspiring example of a full-circle UA moment.
She just completed her Masters in Education at Stanford University, after earning her bachelors at Harvard. And now? She’s returning home to Kansas City and has just started her first year teaching third grade at University Academy! Read the local news coverage of her story here.
We asked Bernadette a few questions about her UA experience
Who or what at UA had the greatest impact on where you are today? Why?
Bernadette: I think the high expectations at UA have had a tremendous impact on where I am today. Being held to standards that weren’t going to move meant that I had to move which really shaped my idea of what a school system should look like.
What – if anything – would you like to say to the donors who give to support UAF programs that you benefited from?
Bernadette: Obviously a huge thank you! Even though it was very normal for UA students to expect these programs, they are a huge privilege that the average high school and/or college student is not privy to. Having check-ins with the Helzbergs who not only created a vision for
UA but decided to be my donor for the Top 15 scholarship is something that was a privilege and
one of the bright spots during my college experience.
Why did you decide to teach and why at UA?
Bernadette: I wanted to go to a school where students were being poured into and where
students were held to a high expectations. Another factor was that I wanted representation
within the staff that reflected the student population. I student taught at a school where there
were the most Black students I had seen while in California, but zero Black classroom teachers
and no expectations or support for the Black students. I also knew living on the coasts was not
for me at this time, and Kansas City has my family and is more livable than Palo Alto, San
Francisco, Oakland, Cambridge, and Boston, and UA was still up and running well, so I
definitely wanted to go back to a school that gave so much to me and that I could give back to
and know that I would be very supported even in a different role.