Her Story
About Monica
My journey in education spans 30 years and was deeply influenced by my mother, who owned daycare centers and showed me how to relate to people in the community and support families. From a young age, I saw students grow as they learned, and that inspired me to become an educator. Throughout my career, I've held just about every role you can imagine in education - teacher, school counselor, director of education for a nonprofit in Detroit, instructor at a community college, and I'm also a licensed therapist who has worked in private practice. For the past 7 years, I've served as a principal, where I'm the instructional leader of my school and lead all operations. I observe teachers, build relationships with parents, and cultivate relationships with my students. My main expertise is in curriculum - devising and creating curriculum for students in urban areas - and in cultivating teacher leaders within the school building. I pride myself on developing programs for young people. I'm also passionate about helping students access scholarships; as a senior counselor, my students received over a million dollars in scholarships, and I still maintain those connections to help young people get the funding they need. Nearly two years ago, I started programming in Ghana, where I mentor 13 young ladies and do philanthropy work supporting schools and an orphanage. One of my most notable achievements was fundraising with my family, friends, and organizations to get all the books my mentees in Ghana needed - I was able to go there and present the books to them and their families at a special dinner.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Monica
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to my faith. I know there's someone greater than me, and I pray daily and put my trust in Him. I couldn't do anything without my faith - it's the foundation of everything I accomplish.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I ever received was to 'tend to your garden.' Someone told me not to worry about what everyone else is doing, but just focus on my own goals and what I'm trying to accomplish, particularly when it comes to our students. It's about staying focused on your own path and purpose.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
My advice to young women entering education is to take care of yourself first. Education is not an easy field right now - a lot of people don't even want to go into it - so you need perseverance. You want to do your job well, but you have to make sure you're well first, because you can't pour from an empty vessel. If you're empty and dealing with emotional things, you're not going to be able to really support the students and do what you need to do for them. Make sure you have self-care and that you are well.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest challenge in education right now is funding - that's really basic but critical. At the same time, there's a tremendous opportunity. A lot of people are shying away from becoming educators because they feel like you may not make as much as you would in another industry. But there's always an opportunity to come and change lives. If you don't like the way things are going in our society, or you want to see a difference in the world, you can come and change these children's lives by what you teach them and what you empower in them. There's always an opportunity to make a difference in our world.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
In my personal life, family is the most important value. I have two sons, and it's important to me to be a great mother, a great sister, and a great daughter - I believe in supporting my family. In my work, my value every day is to make sure that my students receive a quality education. I work with teachers so that when parents drop their children off at school, they know their children are actually learning and being cared for. It's not just about education - it's about social-emotional learning and caring for the whole child.
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