Iralys Lopez
Springboard Collaborative
Philadelphia, PA USA
"There is a big need for people in the U.S. and the world in general to contribute their little grain of salt in education."
Career Roadmap
Iralys's work combines: Education, Non-Profit Organizations, and Teaching / Mentoring
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Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Advice for getting started
There is a huge need in the world for people who want to contribute to education. If that's you, go for it. I got my start as an educator through the Teach for America program. If you want to get into a position like my current role, I recommend finding an early childhood literacy program.
Here's the path I took:
High School
Bachelor's Degree
Political Science
University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras Campus
Graduate Degree
Urban Education
University of Pennsylvania
Here's the path I recommend for someone who wants to be a Program Director:
Bachelor's Degree: Education - Early Childhood K-3 Literacy
Learn more about different paths to this career
Life & Career Milestones
My path in life has been direct
1.
I come from a family of educators—both of my parents and my sisters are teachers.
2.
I earned my bachelor’s degree in political science with a concentration in international relations.
3.
I started in the education field by joining the Teach for America program—which is also what brought me from Puerto Rico to the U.S.—and remained in the field ever since.
4.
After Teach for America, I worked as a Spanish teacher for five years.
5.
I eventually experienced burnout as a teacher and started searching for opportunities to reignite my passion for education.
6.
A friend of mine introduced me to Springboard Collaborative and after learning about their mission statement, I knew it was the right opportunity for me.
7.
I currently work as a program director for Springboard Collaborative, an organization that aims to close the literacy gap between home and school.
Defining Moments
How I responded to discouragement
THE NOISE
Messages from Society in general:
Families are far removed from school.
How I responded:
There's a common assumption that families are far removed from school. We need to eliminate that mindset. Families actually want to be involved. They want to be welcomed inside the classroom. They want to know what their children are learning and how they can help them. I'm working to bring teachers and families together so that we can have more success stories in education.