By Prescott Osuchukwu
When law teacher Alexis Stern recently discovered that she had been admitted to Harvard University for graduate school, she found herself in complete disbelief.
“The first person I told was my mother,” Stern said. “I texted her because I was in complete shock. I didn’t believe it to begin with. They take about 14 people per year, and I don’t think I’m great on paper.”
In graduate school, Stern plans to join an accelerated Masters program and study education for one year. Stern said she wants to specialize in learning and teaching and explore effective teaching methods.
Stern said she might pursue a Doctorate in Education Leadership after receiving a Masters degree, but she is still undecided.
She became interested in specializing in learning after facing some difficulties her first years of teaching World Geography and History at Newman Smith High . Her goal is to facilitate the experience for new teachers.
“One of the biggest problems is that new teachers have little supportive resources,” Stern said. “We lose of a lot of good teachers because they don’t have the help they need. My career goal is to train teachers because I was so lost my first few years teaching. When you are a new teacher, you have no idea how hard it is.”
Although stern was reluctant about making a public announcement regarding her decision, she did tell her law students.
“I was very sad since she has been one of my favorite teachers for the past three years of high school and I’m very upset that she is leaving,” junior Griffin Camacho said. “But I am very happy for her since she has earned her way up to Harvard and I want her to go so she can make an impact on the world and do what she loves to do.”
Stern’s Law Magnet students said they hope that she takes this chance and is able to be a positive influence on the education system.
“I really think she deserves this opportunity, and I see it as a great chance for her to exact the change she desires in the education system,” junior Ian Miller said. “We’re all proud of her, though at the same time, we are bummed she’s leaving and we are really going to miss her.”