My Story: From doctor to educator

“Without affirmative action, I couldn’t have even participated in the race of a good education,” Sonia Sotomayor said. “I didn’t even know there was a race being run.”

Growing up, I was the student who pitied teachers. It looked like a miserable profession and I was going to school to be a doctor! That all changed when I was a freshmen in college and started to rethink things due to time, money and my overall enthusiasm shifting. I would spend the next 4-6 years pondering what I would do with a degree in science before it all made sense to me.

I fell in love with teaching when I was given a full set of classes to teach as a permanent building substitute in Inkster, MI. I loved the autonomy in having my own class, seeing light bulbs turn on in the minds of young people and the fact that every day was different when I went to work. I was hooked and jumped in with the mission to be the best educator that I could be.

Nearly 10 years later I am still teaching and my goal is to make quality education accessible to all. I think back to high school not feeling prepared for the ACT test because prep classes were just too pricey for my family. Supplemental resources were just not obtainable for me. These days, my non-teacher friends are frustrated constantly in their ability to best support their children's academic growth. I want to do what I can to bridge the gap in accessibility.

I want parents to know where they can turn and that you do not have to be wealthy to give your child the academic edge.

-Kharena Keith

Chief educator, Keith Institute