Alyssa Tison Yee and Kenneth Cason

A shares what she thinks is special about KIPP Summit Academy. She says at her previous school she felt like she was approaching burnout and was considering leaving the teaching profession. A says when she came to KIPP Summit Academy, it felt like a very welcoming place and she realized how passionate the teachers were.

K shares what he think is special about KIPP Summit Academy. He says he feels like KIPP Summit Academy gives you the tools you need to succeed in the world. K says as a teacher at the school, he never feels alone.

A and K share their hopes and dreams for their students.

A shares what energizes her the most about her role as an assistant principal. A says she sees it all as an assistant principal. K says as a teacher, he loves witnessing students’ curiosity questions. A reflects on how great it is to see students grow over the years. A recalls a student who when she first entered the school, she did not talk and now, years later, she’s having full conversations in class.

A shares why she became a teacher. A says she moved to Los Angeles when she was thirteen and when she attended eighth grade at a local public school, she felt like she wasn’t learning. A describes her experience with Teach for America. She says she decided to become a teacher because she reflected on all the inequality and inequity that impacted her education experience in the United States.

K shares his path to becoming a teacher. He said he reflected on the thing that made him who he is today and thought about the time his mother walked him through the doors of KIPP Summit Academy.

A recalls her first day at KIPP. She says things at KIPP are very structured. K recalls his first day at KIPP and noting all the differences between his experience as a student and as a teacher. A and K talk about how KIPP feels really connected to the community the school serves.

A says the Fall Carnival and May Day Play Day are her favorite events at KIPP. K says although KIPP has a heavy workload for students, there are many opportunities to celebrate the students, their efforts, and their achievements.

A and K say they can not imagine themselves at any other school than KIPP Summit Academy. K shares that he hopes to get his masters someday and maybe eventually his PhD.

K talks about what it’s like being colleagues with some of the teachers when he was a student at KIPP. He says it is a different relationship.

K says when he was in high school he was trying to be a lobbyist because he wanted to be involved in the Bay Area’s politics. He says he is still involved and making a difference as a teacher.

A and K reflects on students they’ve had who remind them of themselves.

A details more what May Day Playday looks like at KIPP Summit Academy.

K and A share what it means to them to be a part of the KIPP community.