Excellent teachers who fiercely believe in their students are the key to our success. OneGoal Program Directors are masters of their craft. They may love grammar, social studies, and geometry, but their day-to-day motivation is knowing their work helps students fulfill their college dreams.
You see it daily—your students, their individual strengths and potential. You see how much the world benefits not just from your students’ academics, but from their experiences. Yet, statistics tell us that only 22% of students from low-income communities will graduate from college.
Our Program Directors teach a daily, credit-bearing class where they form supportive and trusting relationships and deliver a culturally relevant curriculum to guide Fellows as they uncover the skills, knowledge and mindsets most critical to college and other postsecondary success.
Fellows and Program Directors agree that the impact goes far beyond the three year commitment as they build lifelong relationships and learn from one another in countless ways. Today, 81% of OneGoal high school graduates enroll in college and 86% of those who enroll are persist one year later.
Hear from four different Program Directors across the country on how being a part of OneGoal redefined what it meant for them to be a teacher.
“Before OneGoal, I actually had the same goals as a teacher that I do now, just now they are attainable. And now I have access to resources, training and support.”
Sasha Fawaz
Program Director, OneGoal – Chicago
Catalyst Maria High School
“As a PD I’ve seen how I have as much to learn from my students as they do from me. Teachers are mentors, we’re support systems, and at times some of us have to be a second set of parents. If you want to see success, you have to go over and beyond the call of duty.”
Zazalleesha Swanson
Program Director, OneGoal – Houston
Assistant Principal
Eastwood Academy High School
“We believe our kids are capable of thriving in the college environment and exit with degree in hand, regardless of the resource gap. This belief in needing to support every single student is still a Grand Canyon-sized difference between OneGoal and other interventions.”
Matthew King
Founding Program Director, OneGoal – Chicago
CEO
The College Principle
“All of my Fellows share the one goal of college graduation, but their paths to get there are very different. My hope for my Fellows is that they remain fiercely passionate, resilient when confronted with challenges, and that they know there is a seat for them at any and every table they are willing to fight to be at.”
Ainsley Robles
Program Director, OneGoal – Massachusetts
Director of Teacher Support
OneGoal
“I became a OneGoal PD because I wanted to be a part of the change that allows equal access for minorities to higher education institutions. I don’t want the lack of attention and care that I endured as a student to happen to kids in my own school and community. Everyone deserves the chance to empower themselves through education.”
Nelson Arroyo
Program Director, OneGoal – New York
9th Grade English teacher
Academy for Software Engineering
“My communications with my Fellows over the course of their first year after high school only grew our relationship. We will forever be connected and I know I’ll stay in touch with many of them for years and years to come.”
Brandin LeBlanc
Program Director, OneGoal – Houston
OneGoal staff member
