Alicia Coffey

One of the things that has driven me in this field is my faith in God and my belief that every person, every individual is unique. I always tell my students 'you're it, you're unrepeatable, nobody will ever walk this planet with all of the gifts that you have.' It's not about wanting to be somebody else, but wanting to be your best version, the best self. I try to make sure they understand that they are valuable and valued, and that they have the ability and the resources and the platforms to leave a mark, to make an impact. I always tell them it doesn't have to be a big thing, just something that makes you better. I also believe in assuming that the person's intentions are the best. When you assume that the other person is coming from a genuine interest, a genuine desire, a genuine love, that the person is a good person, then you're not gonna take offense, because a lot of the message is lost in communication when we make false assumptions about people. I always try to be very respectful of my students. I think age has nothing to do with respect - the fact that you are there and you're a child of God, that's enough to warrant that I respect you. I think mentors are just angels in disguise, and I was fortunate to have teachers who empowered me and saw certain skills in me that made a mark in my life.

The advice that has been the most beneficial to me is always assume that the person's intentions are the best. When you assume that the other person is coming from a genuine interest, a genuine desire, genuine love, and you fill in the blank, that you make that assumption in love, that the person is a good person, then you're not gonna take offense, because a lot of times a lot of the message is lost in communication because we make false assumptions about people. Even nowadays, there's so many misunderstandings, and I always try to clear things up and be respectful, very respectful. I think age has nothing to do with respect - the fact that you are there and you're a child of God, that's enough to warrant that I respect you. I think that's super important nowadays, especially with so much negativity they see on YouTube and different platforms. I think we have to counteract all of that with positive messages.

Students today are very challenging because they have been born in an age of technology, and we have to address things like how do we approach technology and the responsibilities of being a steward of these gifts, how to use them wisely, and what to do and what not to do. The scope is very broad when we talk about all of these different things. We talk about the environment, we talk about civic duty, volunteering. Students want to be an agent of change, they want to realize that they have a responsibility in their community, and that's what we're trying to do - educate them. I think it's super important nowadays, especially with so much negativity they see on YouTube and different platforms, that we have to counteract all of that with positive messages. Students are trying to find who they are, where do they fit in. They just want to make sure that they are valuable and valued, and that they have the ability and the resources and the platforms to leave a mark, to make an impact.

My faith in God is one of the most important things that drives me in this field. I believe that every person, every individual is unique and unrepeatable. I value respect tremendously - I always try to be very respectful of my students, and I think age has nothing to do with respect. The fact that you are there and you're a child of God, that's enough to warrant that I respect you. I also value assuming the best in people - that the person's intentions are the best, that they're coming from a genuine interest, a genuine desire, genuine love. When you make that assumption in love, that the person is a good person, then you're not gonna take offense. I'm very involved with my church community through different ministries, including Liturgy of the Children where I teach Catechism, a women's group that supports mothers, and volunteer work with food banks. I have a really good community that I'm very much involved with, and that sense of community and service is central to who I am.