or, um, So, uh, you know, I think I had maybe the usual New Yorker story. I my mid twenties, you know, I started at S CEO really is a part time teaching position because I needed a way to fund my creative pursuits. Believe it or not, I wanted to really be, you know, the next great American novelist and a stand up comedian and the or was a place to do. So, um, and I I taught in my twenties, and I taught in Africa is a volunteer experience. I had taught s a T prep in my college years, and so it just seemed like a good way to make some money. Um, while I pursued my creative pursuits, Um, I think what I did not anticipate was what, the teaching spirits, how that would impact me. Um And so when I first signed up for the job and I knew it was a Saturday classes and I still remember the first day, you know, it was it was a cold day in February. It was still dark outside when I woke up, because it is really early class, and I had to take, uh, you know, like four trains and swim across East River because it was a weekend schedule and I rushed to class on Was the grammar class on? I was 10 minutes early, Um, and so I was really even open the door and the students were all, you know, sitting there already kind of ready to learn. It was a grammar lesson that I had talked to him before, and so I kind of looked over the lesson, but not really deeply. And I remember that class being really exposed. Ah, and ashamed by the by the students because they were asking me questions I wasn't ready to answer. They were really engaged. And, um, you remember at the end of the class, I felt very defeated because, you know, it just wasn't a very cool class. Um, And so the next Saturday came and I woke up really, really early, and I prepared hours night before, says I just didn't want to feel that way again. Um and I came in No, Look, the train schedule night before I came in early. It was 45 minutes early. There were no students inside. And then, um you know that dead I taught the cup. You know the best class had ever taught. Um, so a couple of things that that kind of came clear to me that day, you know, one waas, You know, um, rarely have I felt so accomplishment fulfilled in a job before. Um, it just felt really good to be my best self, you know. Secondly, I realized the students, you know, these are these are low income students for very difficult backgrounds in New York City public schools. And they were giving up their Saturdays voluntarily to come early to do extra school for their own benefit. And I felt such obligation, um, and responsibility to be my best, best self. Given the matter effort, they were giving him the impact that have in their lives. And so it felt again, for the first time, that the job was really important, that I needed to be my best self for them. Um, and it felt, you know, really important. And so I think over time, what I realized was that, you know, I liked feeling ah, fulfilled. I like doing something that really helped others. I really appreciate the community of the students. And that was about 11 years ago, and I think I was lucky in that. When I started instructor s CEO, the organization really was proving efficacy and started really growing rapidly. And so, as a part time instructor, I really worked hard, and I became a program manager. And then as we expanded, my role expanded. Um, and that's kind of why I'm here. You know where it is today? It really is. Comes down to the students and how amazing they were on how much I really I got out of it was very selfish, in fact.

this is what a little of a complicated questions. I think my reality now is maybe different from my traditional reality. Um, you know, before the pandemic and before this whole reality, I think you know, my work hours are generally Tuesdays to Saturdays because we have started programming. So I had a Sunday. Monday is my weekends. Um, you know, I have to get the office by around 10 a.m. And it's a little bit of a later date. Leave around 7 p.m. Um, and commute was about, you know, 45 minutes of 50 minutes since though, really, I left my apartment around nine. Got home around eight or nine. Um, that day, I think, as far as my responsibility and decisions. Now, um, I oversee high school program from race 10 to 12. And so it really is about, um, working with the curriculum instruction team to create robust content to really build systems across to support students holistically, not just academically but emotionally, psychologically to really set up. Not necessarily academic content, which is responsibly of seeing eye staff are really about the SCL content. Um, and the guidance support that airport image provide for our scholars and then, lastly, really, about college admissions and college acceptance strategy, Um, in implementation. So those were really the end, of course. People management of the team about 20 to 25 staff.

um pretty quickly. I think it's Salesforce is a big one is it's part of our data basic, like also information from both high school and college. We makes use of shared drives, the and G suite from Google. Um and then we are, you know, right now, experimenting with different learning management systems, like right space and then, lastly, really software and video editing tools, which are of greater importance now in this new remote reality.