Growing up as a minority where I lived, I saw how schools could be a place of community and growth and also how they could marginalize certain groups of students. What made the difference were the teachers who encouraged and inspired me.”
Ashley’s Story
Teaching Disciplines
Chemistry and Physics
Why Chemistry and Physics
“I love being able to connect scientific principles with the phenomena and social issues students see every day, and I believe in the importance of developing critical thinking and scientific literacy.”
Professional Experience
During her undergraduate studies, Ashley worked as a teaching assistant for middle school and high school science courses, a biology and biochemistry tutor for her undergraduate peers, an orientation leader and peer advisor, and a chemistry education research assistant. Following graduation from undergraduate studies in 2018, Ashley worked as a loans administrative coordinator at Pacific Coast Bankers Bank before becoming an English teacher at SMK Tanah Merah in Kedah, Malaysia, on a grant from the Fulbright Program. In addition to teaching English under this program, she led after-school programs, including video-making projects, guitar lessons, dance club, and hiking trips. She was given an additional grant to stay on as a program coordinator in 2020. Following this experience, she worked as an SAT writing instructor for the Elite Educational Institute, a high school advisor with College Possible Philadelphia through Americorps, and a virtual English teacher for the English Language Network of Refugees. Ashley completed her graduate education in 2022 and obtained a position teaching horticulture
Ashley will begin her second year of teaching at Walter B. Saul Agricultural High School in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, during the 2023–2024 school year.
Hobbies
In her free time, Ashley enjoys training in Muay Thai and is working towards competing in an amateur fight. She has a chihuahua named Eggs Benedict, or Beni for short, that she enjoys spending time with.
Academic Background
- University of California, Davis (Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences, Minor in Education)
- University of Pennsylvania (Master of Science in Education)