Think Together Appoints Quincy Allen to the Nonprofit’s Board of Directors

Press Release

Media Inquiries
Elena Bosch
(714) 824-8136
[email protected]

Amid growth in its Los Angeles County regions, Think Together recruits new board member with local ties.

Santa Ana, Calif. (April 12, 2021) – Think Together, California’s leading nonprofit provider of school improvement, expanded learning and afterschool programs, today announced the appointment of Quincy Allen, co-founder and managing partner of Arc Capital Partners, to its board of directors.  

Based in Downtown Los Angeles, Allen has more than $8 billion in commercial real estate and investment experience. Throughout his career, he has had a particular focus on institutional investing in urban markets across the country. The firm owns and operates real estate capital throughout the Western U.S. and repositions properties primed for growth.

“Education has the power to strengthen a community,” said Allen of his work. “Whether through revitalization or education, we’re investing in neighborhoods and people. I’m proud to serve alongside a nonprofit that really understands it takes a multi-pronged approach to make a difference by delivering high-quality afterschool programs.”

Think Together’s largest area of impact is Los Angeles County where the organization serves nearly 75,000 students, across 14 districts and 23 charter management organizations. Allen plans to leverage his expertise to advise Think Together’s continued expansion in Los Angeles County and beyond. Think Together operates afterschool and expanded learning programs throughout the state.

“As we look to expand our reach, we are thrilled to welcome Allen to the board,“ said Randy Barth, founder and CEO of Think Together. “Quincy brings a deep knowledge of business development coupled with an unparalleled passion for helping communities thrive and he will be a tremendous part of our board.”

Think Together’s newest director comes as the board is supporting the organization’s annual fundraiser event, Raise A Hand, reimagined this year as a virtual experience. The event will be held on Friday, April 23 via a live broadcast on both Zoom and YouTube Live. Learn more at: https://one.bidpal.net/raiseahand.

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About Think Together

Think Together partners with schools and communities to pursue educational equity and excellence for all kids. As a nonprofit organization, Think Together innovates, implements and scales academic solutions that change the odds for hundreds of thousands of California students. Think Together’s program areas include early learning, afterschool, school support services and leadership development for teachers and school administrators. For more information, call (888) 485-THINK or visit www.thinktogether.org.

About Orenda Education

A Think Together affiliate since 2014, Orenda Education is in the business of change. This group of highly experienced educational consultants’ partners with school districts to identify research-based equity-grounded solutions for closing the Achievement Gap. Orenda’s proven approach dramatically improves student outcomes and creates paths for college and career opportunities. For more information please go to orendaed.org.

“When we went home last year, I knew we weren’t going to be back in 2 weeks.”

“I was really upset that we couldn’t go back to school.”
“Around month seven I was starting to get bored.”

The pandemic has been hard for all, but some Think Together students have granted us the unique opportunity to really listen to how the last year has been through their eyes. Six of our students at Portola Middle School have eloquently shared their perspectives in their podcast Take 6. 

As part of Think Together’s expanded learning and enrichment programs, students can participate in clubs in a variety of topics like culinary skills, coding and robotics, art, sports and now podcasting. Each week, our podcasters meet up and go through every aspect of producing a podcast from writing scripts, interviewing guests, sound editing, and practicing those public speaking skills.

But even more importantly, this podcast also allows them to spend time with their friends and work on something together after a long year with little connection. “I wanted to come up with something cool that I could do with my friends,” says one of our students.

If there is one thing to know about these students, it’s that they are tough and unafraid to get a little vulnerable. The social and emotional learning skills that go into sharing thoughts and emotions on a podcast are key skills our students will carry with them the rest of their lives.

In their first episode, “The Quarantine Life” our students have a roundtable discussion about how the pandemic has had an impact on them in the last year. While there are some annoyances, they also talk about the good things. “I’ve gotten the time to spend time and learn more about my family,” says another.

While distance learning and staying home was nice at first, as the months went on, our students started missing school just as much as we missed supporting them in-person. Orange Unified School District has been in person since Fall 2020, following a hybrid learning model with some days on campus and other days doing distance learning.

Our podcasters interviewed their school counselor to get his perspective on how the pandemic has shifted everyone’s lives, especially at school. “Our job has gotten a lot harder; we’re trying to help as many students as possible who are struggling with their classes … and a lot more kids are struggling,” he says.

Nationwide, students are struggling to keep up with classes, meet requirements and grade-level expectations. With attendance rates at an all-time low, partnerships like Think Together and Orange Unified School District work closely together to get students back on track and learning.

Our podcasters are coming out with a new episode every two weeks on Spotify, with their most recent episode last week about their own experiences being bullied and the advice they have for anyone else experiencing bullying.

We hope that you’ll tune in and take a listen to Take 6 and join us in being their biggest fans.

Press Release

Media Inquiries
Elena Bosch
(714) 824-8136
[email protected]

The sold-out event, hosted in partnership with Think Together and the Inland Empire Regional Chamber of Commerce, aimed at fostering collaboration among County, State and Business Leaders

Santa Ana, Calif. (April 07, 2021) – Think Together, California’s leading nonprofit provider of afterschool, expanded learning and school improvement programs, in partnership with the Inland Empire Regional Chamber of Commerce, hosted the 2021 Inland Empire Education and Workforce Readiness Summit virtually on Wednesday, April 7, bringing together more than 300 leaders in the public, education and nonprofit sectors.

The event opened with Dr. Robin Avelar La Salle, CEO of Orenda Education, who spoke to the opportunities and challenges educators experience as they navigate the ever-changing landscape toward reopening schools. Key to overcoming those challenges, according to Dr. La Salle, will be realizing that our plans must be fluid and our systemic issues resolved.

“We have demographics determining destiny. We have students graduating that are not prepared at the level that the workforce wants them to be at and the level that universities want them to be at,” said Dr. La Salle. “If we lead with our educational equity foot forward, and then we check that against whether kids are on campus. And we check that against whether they’re safe. Then, we can lead remembering our mission is to have an educated populace and we will be successful in overcoming our collective challenges.”

Keynote speaker Dr. Angelo Farooq, Chairman of the California Workforce Development Board, followed providing his unique perspective on the social emotional impact youth are experiencing due to the pandemic and how this will affect their future well into their working years.

“The devastating impacts of the pandemic can be an opportunity to frame a compelling call to action for our youth,” said Dr. Farooq in an emotional speech calling for community collaboration. “Let’s harness the emotional compassion each of us are feeling for our children and let it be a rallying cry to mobilize, hopefully what could be the most transformative community engagement that any generation has ever witnessed, because that’s what this generation of youth deserve.”

The event was rounded out by Inland Empire Regional Chamber CEO Edward Ornelas who facilitated a discussion on how to help youth overcome the anticipated long-term impacts of COVID-19 on academic achievement, college and career readiness. Panelists included:

  • Randy Barth, Founder and CEO of Think Together
  • Ted Alejandre, Superintendent at San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools
  • Dr. Angelo Farooq, Chairman of the California Workforce Development Board (CWDB)
  • Dr. Edwin Gomez, Riverside County Superintendent of Schools

“The responsibility to ensure students have the skills needed to be successful in college and career isn’t just the educator’s responsibility,” said Ornelas. “It takes a village. It takes business partnerships. And it takes people who care working together to find opportunities for the next generation of our workforce.”

The event, which was free to attend, aimed to create cross-collaboration and constructive solutions for ensuring students impacted by COVID-19 are equipped with the necessary academic, technical, and soft skills needed to succeed in today’s economy.

“In today’s COVID-19 environment, it’s more important than ever that we work collaboratively across public, private and nonprofit sectors to ensure the next generation of talent has the skills they need to be successful,” said Randy Barth, Founder and CEO of Think Together. “Student learning recovery will be key across all grades, as well as the development of job skills like critical thinking, collaboration and creativity.”

The 2021 Inland Empire Education and Workforce Readiness Summit was proudly sponsored by

Bank of America and supported by Riverside County Workforce Development Centers, the San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools and San Bernardino County.  

Those interested can watch the Inaugural Inland Empire Education and Workforce Readiness Summit on YouTube. Those looking to get involved with Think Together can visit: www.thinktogether.org/get-involved.

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About Think Together

Think Together partners with schools and communities to pursue educational equity and excellence for all kids. As a nonprofit organization, Think Together innovates, implements and scales academic solutions that change the odds for hundreds of thousands of California students. Think Together’s program areas include early learning, afterschool, school support services and leadership development for teachers and school administrators. For more information, call (888) 485-THINK or visit www.thinktogether.org.

About Orenda Education

A Think Together affiliate since 2014, Orenda Education is in the business of change. This group of highly experienced educational consultants’ partners with school districts to identify research-based equity-grounded solutions for closing the Achievement Gap. Orenda’s proven approach dramatically improves student outcomes and creates paths for college and career opportunities. For more information please go to orendaed.org.

Think Together is proud of our own Helen Welderfael who in January was announced as one of the National AfterSchool Association’s 2021 Next Generation of Afterschool Leaders. Since then, Helen has been featured on WorldNewsEra, Riverside County News Source, and Redlands City News Group.

Helen was recently interviewed for the Redlands Daily Facts where she emphasized how critical data has been especially in the pandemic. “I think the data helps us visualize the work that we have done, and also helps us figure out the work that needs to be done,” says Helen.

In selecting its 2021 Next Generation of Afterschool Leaders, the National AfterSchool Association sought to highlight emerging young leaders who are active in the broader afterschool community, demonstrate contributions that have started to influence beyond individual programs to entire organizations and communities, are actively engaged in efforts to elevate the afterschool field, have a proven passion for the development of themselves and others, and demonstrate persistence in their work to grow as leaders. 

Helen has worked as our Regional Operations Analyst in our San Bernardino region for the last two-and-a-half years and was recently promoted to Data Operations Manager. She recently received her master’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Redlands. During her time at Think Together, Helen has invested her strong organizational skills to support her region with new processes and systems.

“The afterschool program I attended was a safe place where I received mentorship, homework support and lasting memories. The experience contributed significantly to the person I am today and is the reason I wanted to have the opportunity to make a difference with the kids we work with,” says Helen.

Helen joins the ranks of two previous honorees of the Next Generation of Afterschool Leaders. In 2018, Alberto Bajaras, then quality assurance coach for Think Together’s San Bernardino Region was awarded and has since been promoted to Director of Program and Operations for the region. Stacy Galdamez, General Manager for Think Together’s San Gabriel Valley region was named in 2017 and was also a quality assurance coach at the time of her recognition. 

Congratulations Helen. Your hard work in the afterschool and expanded learning community has not gone unnoticed, and we are proud to have you as part of the Think Together family.

Orange County-Based Nonprofit Honors Supporters, Students and Alumni and Looks to the Future During Celebration Event

IRVINE, Calif. (April 25, 2019) – Think Together hosted its annual Raise a Hand Dinner & Experience on Thursday, April 25, at [AV] Irvine where over 350 community and business leaders raised $415,000 to support the nonprofit’s Coding For All Campaign.

Coding For All will expand Think Together’s coding program throughout California to reach over 150,000 kids from low-income families annually. Think Together students showcased their coding and robotics skills, including a battle bot competition, during the Meet and Think portion of the event. Nancy Vargas, Think Together alumna and current doctoral student at Oregon State University, shared about her experiences with Think Together and the importance of high-quality educational programs and support for all kids.

Two Think Together high school seniors, Alexia Calderon and Stephanie Correa, were presented with

“Face of the Future” awards, including $3000 college scholarships and new laptops, for their dedication to their education and volunteerism in their communities. The “Champion of Change” award was presented to Sangeeth Peruri, CEO of VoterCircle, for his dedication to changing the odds for kids through education.

Think Together was founded as an education nonprofit in 1997. Today the organization is a trusted partner of 47 California school districts impacting over 150,000 kids from low-income families at over 450 program sites annually. Think Together’s programs and services continue to evolve to support learning before, during and after school to prepare kids from at-risk communities for college and career.

“We are beyond grateful to our dedicated donors and supporters who believe in our goal of changing the odds for kids,” said Randy Barth, Founder & CEO of Think Together. “Because of their support, Think Together and is able to partner with schools and provide critical programs for students throughout the state. We look forward to partnering with even more schools to tip the scales permanently in favor of equity and excellence in education for every student.”

Event sponsors included Medtronic, Leona Aronoff-Sadacca, and Eric and Connie Boden, BNY Mellon Wealth Management, Deloitte, ORION Property Partners, Orora, Pacific Life Foundation, Mary Lynn and Bill Coffee, Dan and Leslee Young, Anu and Mihir Worah, Crevier Classic Cars, Pircher, Nichols, and Meeks LLP, Sam and Susan Anderson, French Family Trust, Alex and Pam Munro, City National Bank, EPG Insurance, Marsh & McLennan Agency, MVE + Partners, Orange County Department of Education, Orenda Education, Don and Anita Barth, Randy and Mary Barth, John and Linda Benner, Jerry and Bobbi

Dauderman, Frome Family Foundation, Glenn and Joyce Howard, John and Joyce Lee, Donna Phebus, Jeffrey and Jodi Wahba, LOCALE Magazine, RedCar Media and Shade Tree Films.

Auction/Raffle sponsors included: Aline Toler, image consultant, Aston Martin Newport Beach, Catalina Express, Christine Barone Creative Catalyst, The Drybar, Fletcher Jones Motorcars Newport Beach, Habana, Irvine Improv, Jackson Family Wines, Le Pain Quotidien, Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation, The Original Wine Club, PIMCO, Puesto, SoulCycle, South Coast Plaza, South Coast Repertory, Kathy Leland, Scott and Mary Piazza, and Summer Taylor.

About Think Together

Think Together partners with schools and communities to pursue educational equity and excellence for all kids. As a nonprofit organization, Think Together innovates, implements and scales academic solutions that change the odds for hundreds of thousands of California students. Our program areas include early learning, afterschool, school support services and leadership development for teachers and school administrators. For more information, call (888) 485-THINK or visit www.thinktogether.org.

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Afterschool ‘Healthy Living Program’ Strives to Help Children from Underserved Communities Live Healthy and Active Lifestyles

Santa Ana, Calif. (January 28, 2020) – Think Together, an Orange County-based nonprofit organization that operates afterschool programs at more than 400 sites across California, received $102,500 in grants from Kaiser Permanente– $60,000 from Kaiser Permanente Northern California to support programs in Santa Clara and Alameda counties and $42,500 from Kaiser Permanente Southern California to support programs in Los Angeles, Riverside and San Bernardino counties. The grants will help the nonprofit serve 48 elementary schools and over 5,000 students daily.

Think Together’s Healthy Living Program provides a holistic approach to student achievement due to the inclusion of both physical activity and nutrition education. The program requires students to participate in 30 to 45 minutes of physical activity as part of their Coordinated Approach to Child Health (CATCH) program three to four times a week.

Students also learn about healthy eating choices as they follow a Harvest of the Month curriculum. The Harvest of the Month curriculum allows students to learn about locally grown fruits or vegetables, portion sizes, healthy food choices, and how to properly read food labels. Students enrolled also have the opportunity to learn how to prepare healthy meals at home. Families are invited to Family Health Nights three times per year where the students can teach their parents the benefits of cooking healthy recipes.

“We’re thrilled to partner with Kaiser Permanente in helping kids ‘thrive’ with quality programming that changes their odds,” shares Think Together’s Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations Lawrence Gustafson.

About Think Together

Think Together partners with schools and communities to pursue educational equity and excellence for all kids. As a nonprofit organization, Think Together innovates, implements and scales academic solutions that change the odds for over 150,000 students in California. Think Together’s program areas include early learning, afterschool, school support services and school improvement. For more information, call (888) 485-THINK or visit www.thinktogether.org.

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Santa Ana, Calif. (September 22, 2020) – Nonprofit veteran Joshua Felix joins as the afterschool and expanded learning provider readies staff to support school partners as they head back to school.

Think Together, California’s leading nonprofit provider of school improvement, expanded learning and afterschool programs, today announced the appointment of Joshua Felix as Chief People Officer, overseeing human resources and recruitment for the organization.

Felix previously held the positions of Executive Director of Strategic Partnerships and Director of Operations and Integration for Think Together, giving him valuable insights into scaling organizational talent and overseeing operational development.

He joined Think Together in 2006 as a program leader working directly with students to provide learning support and engagement before moving into human resources and recruiting shortly after.

“As we were looking to fill this role, we knew we needed a forward-thinking leader that could be a positive influence in this ever-changing environment and who truly understands our mission and vision to create education equity,” said Randy Barth, founder and CEO of Think Together. “There’s no doubt that Josh has the qualities of a mentor and a leader that can inspire our Think Together team to meet this moment during the Great Pandemic and beyond.”

Think Together’s newest executive leader comes as the nonprofit extends its reach into Palm Springs Unified School District and launches distance learning programs in nearly 300 schools across its nine regions. The expansion brought an additional 110 jobs to Riverside County and 421 jobs throughout the organization ahead of the 2020-2021 school year.

Felix and his team have been instrumental in preparing staff for the safe reentry onto school campuses, including creating a robust training and operations strategy specific to COVID-19 that goes above and beyond California Department of Education and Centers for Disease Control guidelines.

Under his team’s guidance, recruitment and onboarding are now conducted remotely and the organization has scaled its communications and technology infrastructure considerably to address today’s primarily virtual work environment.

“I’m really excited about the opportunity to bring such growth and innovation to Think Together to

really problem solve during this unpredictable time in our history,” says Felix. “We’re always looking to add talented individuals who are passionate about the opportunity to change the odds for kids, and we’re doing some incredible things to really make a difference during this challenging environment.”

– more –

Felix earned his Bachelor of Arts from the University of California, Irvine and his Master of Arts from University of Sydney. He also holds certifications as a Professional in Human Resources (PHR) from the HR Certification Institute as well as an Elite Certified Recruitment Expert (ECRE) from AIRS®, a leader in recruitment training. In his free time, he enjoys running, cooking and exploring his home of Los Angeles.

About Think Together

Think Together partners with schools and communities to pursue educational equity and excellence for all kids. As a nonprofit organization, Think Together innovates, implements and scales academic

solutions that change the odds for hundreds of thousands of California students. Think Together’s program areas include early learning, afterschool, school support services and leadership development for teachers and school administrators. For more information, call (888) 485-THINK or

visit www.thinktogether.org.

About Orenda Education

A Think Together affiliate since 2014, Orenda Education is in the business of change. This group of highly experienced educational consultants’ partners with school districts to identify research-based equity- grounded solutions for closing the Achievement Gap. Orenda’s proven approach dramatically improves student outcomes and creates paths for college and career opportunities. For more information please go to orendaed.org.

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Once again, inequities and injustices are on the news. It’s heartbreaking to see, and it starts bringing up the question of how many injustices have to happen before humanity learns?

Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities have faced a long history of prejudice and discrimination in the United States. Over the last year, AAPI communities have been blamed for a virus they have little control over – just like the rest of the world. 

The hate stops with you, with our communities, and with our nation. As humans, we aren’t born with prejudice, it’s learned. 

It can be hard to unlearn prejudices, but it isn’t impossible. What it takes is introspect and mindfulness of your thoughts and actions, and being aware enough to stop, think, and learn. 

From Carol Dweck’s book Mindset: The New Psychology of Success she writes “Mindset change is not about picking up a few pointers here and there. It’s about seeing things in a new way. When people…change to a growth mindset, they change from a judge-and-be-judged framework to a learn-and-help-learn framework. Their commitment is to growth, and growth takes plenty of time, effort, and mutual support.”

We hope that you are taking the time to listen and learn about what is happening in the AAPI communities and have collected some resources for you to start you down your path. 

Parents and Educator resources for students:

  • Swipe through this Instagram post from @diversifyournarrative to learn about Anti-Asian policies you may not have heard about.
  • Learn more about Know Your Classmates (KYC) Social and Emotional Learning curriculum. KYC was created to address the challenge of how we, as educators, help middle school youth become more self-aware about their own family’s identity, traditions and culture while learning acceptance, inclusion, and respect for their classmates as well. (read more)
  • NEA EdJustice on Coded Language

For adults (or for older students, discretion advised)

  • A reading list to understand anti-Asian racism in America. (read more)
  • Listen to this 8-minute clip on NPR.  

Ways to donate and support:

  • Visit gofundme.com/aapi for verified fundraisers
  • Donate to support Stop AAPI Hate and help them document and track hate crimes.
  • Asian Americans Advancing Justice is a nonprofit legal advocacy group organizing for protections for Asian American communities. Donate here. 

Lastly, if you see something, say something. We all must stand up to hate and not stay silent. The time to be a passive bystander is over.

With longer days, better weather, and plenty of sunshine, now is the perfect time to get outside and get active. We had a chat with U.S. Soccer Foundation Coach and Think Together Quality Assurance Coach Coraima Lopez to learn more about how Think Together is keeping students healthy, fit, and safe. 

Q. Thanks for sitting down with us, tell us a little bit about yourself?

A. I have been working for Think Together for 4 years and have been a soccer coach for 2 years. I grew up watching sports with my parents and especially soccer. My favorite part about soccer is the matchups during the soccer games. It creates a great debate and great fun. We are always trying to find out who the superior team is, and we are destined to be right. 

Q. Do you have a favorite soccer team?

A. I would say that my favorite soccer team is Real Madrid. I like Real Madrid because some of my favorite players have played there, legends such as Beckham, Ronaldo, Casillas, and Zidane because they have won the most European champion leagues. 

Q. As one of our soccer coaches, what have been some of the challenges this last year has brought and what tools have you used to overcome them?

A. As a soccer coach, I think of a challenge as a new learning opportunity to support students and their needs and see them succeed. My ability to condition the students’ athletic minds and to train them to think as a team, while at the same time, making sure each athlete approaches his skills with total concentration, intensity, and skill. There should never be a moment that a player doesn’t feel challenged both physically and intellectually. Being united as a team and maintaining that unity overcomes any challenges that we come across with. 

Q. Can you tell us about how Think Together is keeping students healthy and active in-person and online?

A. Think Together is keeping students healthy and active in person and virtually. Think Together staff offer students many opportunities like exercising, staying fit, building strength, improve coordination, and cardiovascular health. Virtually, the staff has made soccer a physical activity club in our programs where they use soccer for success curriculum to teach our students about nutrition, mental wellness, and physical wellness. Students join our soccer club, and they are excited to learn different drills to better support their skills. 

Q. How do students like Soccer for Success? 

A. Students love soccer for success. This curriculum supports our staff to break down steps to learn a drill, maneuver the soccer ball, kick the ball and so much more. Students enjoy seeing their friends and share their success in accomplishing a new soccer move. They enjoy learning about healthy lifestyles and prefer to be active outside than being at home. Students recognize the wealth and dedication our program advocates to change the odds for kids. 

All of us at Think Together are looking forward to the day when we can return to our traditional Soccer for Success programming in partnership with the U.S. Soccer Foundation. Like us, the U.S. Soccer Foundation had to pivot its curriculum to work in a COVID-environment. 

In Think Together’s in-person hubs, students can still practice their skills using the U.S. Soccer Foundation’s adapted curriculum, which was launched ahead of the fall 2020 season. This adapted curriculum allows Soccer for Success program operators across the country to run the program across a variety of settings – from pre-recorded sessions to live virtual sessions to in-person socially-distanced sessions. Throughout the 12-week season, coach-mentors use these sessions to help participants practice their talents, with lessons on ball control, passing, defending, and more.

Program Leader Eddie Sanchez is a rising star in Think Together’s new Palm Springs Region. His distance learning sessions have had the highest average daily attendance in the region for the last several months, demonstrating that his dedication, enthusiasm, and passion for changing the odds for kids, keeps them coming back for more. We are thrilled to have you get to know Eddie.

Eddie, tell us a little bit about yourself?

I started working for Think Together in July 2020 when the Palm Springs region was opening. I graduated from Cal State Fullerton in 2014 with a degree in political science and a minor in history.

Palm Springs is Think Together’s newest region. What has been your favorite memory so far?

That’s a hard choice. All of my students are amazing. I can’t say enough good things about them. They all make my day and I know that goes but for my entire team, not just for me. There’s never a day when I don’t laugh and have something funny to remember at the end of a session.

How have you seen distance learning impact your students? 

You know, it’s been challenging, and I understand it. When I was in college, I took an online course and that was challenging even as an adult who knew how to study, take good notes, and everything. I know for them it’s hard because they are learning their core skills now, but that’s why my team and I are here to support them and make it as fun as possible. 

How do you and your team make distance learning fun?

When we start our program day, we always start with some sort of icebreaker and joke. Then, we either have a lesson in social and emotional learning (SEL), STEM, music, or physical education. When we break off into our homework groups, I make sure all my students feel supported and get as much done as possible. If we have time, we try to do more fun activities before they sign off for the day. 

Can you tell us about a student you’ve seen blossom since Think Together started in Palm Springs?

At my site, we have over 30 students with 25 of them attending regularly. One of my students was shy when we started the program. What’s funny is the way she opened up was by finding out I’m afraid of spiders. After that barrier was broken, she has been doing well. All of the students when they joined, didn’t know what Think Together would be like or what they would do. More than the learning they are getting, they can be with friends in a way that they had been missing. 

Did you always know you wanted to work with kids?

When you are in your 20s you don’t have a clue what you are going to do. I’ve always liked education, but I didn’t imagine working for an organization like this. Now that I am here though, I want to continue working in education. I want to try to either become a site coordinator or get my teaching credential.  

If you got your teaching credential, what grade-level would you want to teach? 

I think I would want to teach either middle school or high school. I’m interested in history since that was my minor in college. I think that would be a fun subject to teach or to teach English. 

What is your goal for the rest of 2021? 

My goals are to keep growing within Think Together and to start a teaching credential program. I turned 30 at the end of 2020- new decade, new goals, new dreams. As long as I’m in education and helping students, I’m happy.

Eddie, thank you for your passion and commitment to change the odds for kids!

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