Emily Mielcarek

Tell us why you became a teacher

I became a teacher because I wanted to be an advocate for refugee&asylum-seeking youth through teaching English as a New Language. I wanted to help young learners unlock their full potential and grow in their literacy and language learning journey.

Tell us about your most memorable teaching experience

These past two years I’ve had the unique opportunity of teaching a group of asylum seeking students from South American. These kids are strong, resilient learners with a desire to learn & grow. Building relationships with these students and their families has been the most incredible and rewarding highlight of my teaching career.

What would you do with the $25,000?

With the $25,000, I would work closely with local school districts and county officials to create a “Newcomer Academy.” A space where multilingual learners can develop language skills and grow in their cultural knowledge. This would be a supportive environment where kids could receive extra support from language teachers in various subjects and learn about future opportunities. I would create a diverse community where students could have rich and varied experiences to grow their language.