Name: Allyson (Ally) Wright
Program: MAT-English, Class of 2013
Hometown: Rialto, CA
Current position: Founding Principal at South LA College Prep, Los Angeles, CA
Q: What inspired you to go into teaching?
A: Educators were always the ones in my life that inspired me on my path, I say that education literally saved my life, so it felt like giving back to go into teaching myself.
Q: What drew you to Brown’s MAT program?
A: I was a Woodrow Wilson Rockerfeller's Brothers Fund Fellow for Aspiring Teachers of Color, and Brown was one of the programs that was partnered with that fellowship. I got to visit the campus and completely fell in love with the program. It felt supportive and like the exact kind of program I was looking for in entering grad school.
Q: What was a highlight of your experience in the MAT program?
A: Student Teaching! I got to create a course called "Black Liberation Through Music" and it centered around student-driven discussions through Socratic Seminars. I loved teaching it, and it was the foundation for the curriculum I would go on to teach and design in my career.
Q: What have you done since graduating from the MAT program?
Q: What have you done since graduating from the MAT program?
A: I taught in Watts and South Los Angeles for almost 5 years before getting the opportunity to become a Principal Resident and open my own school as a founding principal. I am now the proud principal of South LA College Prep, a charter high school in its third year.
Q: What skills or knowledge did you learn throughout the program that you found most useful in your career?
Q: What skills or knowledge did you learn throughout the program that you found most useful in your career?
A: Learning to plan at a high level was such a huge focus, and it made me extremely detail oriented. I also learned how to tie in Young Adult Literature to make reading appeal more to my students, and that helped make me more successful at connecting.
Q: What’s a piece of advice you’d give to pre-service teachers?
Q: What’s a piece of advice you’d give to pre-service teachers?
A: This is hard work, but it's so worth it. Make sure to radically care for yourself and develop a community of support, and keep at it. It gets easier!