By Elizabeth Howell
Associate Editor
"Good morning, scholars," says Amber Lakin ('12C) as she greets her elementary school students at Match Community Day.
"Good morning, Ms. Lakin," they reply.
"Emory," she whispers.
"Eagles," they whisper back.
This daily ritual is more than a show of Lakin's love and affection for her alma mater; it is a practice that establishes college attendance as an essential goal of these children's education from the moment they begin school.
Lakin is a tutor at Match Education, a nonprofit organization in Boston, Mass. that runs a network of inner-city charter schools, including an elementary, middle and high school.
She is currently completing a one-year tutoring fellowship for recent college graduates.
In addition to working closely each day with a small group of English language-learners in order to improve their math and literacy skills, Lakin builds close relationship with her students and their families.
Match Education practices a "no excuses" philosophy, which is common among charter schools, Lakin said.
Match schools are rooted in the belief that there is no excuse why any child should not succeed in school and go on to enroll in college.
Every aspect of the students' day is regimented.
When walking through the halls, students must remain completely silent with their hands at their sides. In the classroom, they sit with their hands folded on their desks and are forbidden to call out.
While Lakin said that this teaching style is somewhat controversial among educators, Match justifies it by reasoning that every minute of a child's education counts.
Even if students waste only five minutes each day, all of that time adds up over a year, she said.
However, Lakin's students aren't the only ones who have to adhere to a strict routine.
She said that the most challenging part of her job is the long hours – she works each day from 6:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Additionally, Lakin takes classes on Saturdays as part of the Match Teacher Residency program, a two-year program through which she will earn a Master's Degree in Education.
Lakin said that she has never been so busy in her entire life. She plans out every minute of what little free time she has.
While she doesn't have much free time outside of her job, she said she's happy she's not working in an office.
"I'm not looking at a computer, and I'm not sitting around working a boring nine-to-five," she said in an interview with the Wheel.
"I'm working with these wonderful kids all the time and really feeling like I'm contributing to the world in a positive way."
Lakin said the time she spends with her students is easily the best part of working at Match. Specifically, she said she has formed strong relationships with the children whom she tutors in literacy.
At the beginning of the year, her students performed at a low reading level. However, after Lakin worked with them for eight weeks, some of them passed two or three levels, which is as much progress as other students make in a year.
"It makes you feel so proud to work with them and to see all that progress that they've made," she said.
Lakin said her Emory education prepared her well for her work with Match Education.
As a Jumpstart Corps member and Team Leader during her freshmen and sophomore years, she spent many hours in preschool classrooms.
She also studied abroad her entire junior year, spending one semester in Nicaragua and one in Argentina.
She said she learned Spanish skills in these places that she currently uses with her children, many of whom speak English as their second language.
During her senior year of college, Lakin applied for a variety of positions, ranging from political science fellowships to consulting jobs.
However, she said she was glad she ended up at Match.
"I was fortunate to find a job that I love," she said. "I'm able to do something that I think is so fun every day and make a meaningful difference in the world."
She said she would recommend working for Match Education to anyone who is interested in education or looking to take a year off before graduate school.
While Lakin plans to teach for a few years, she said she feels that her experience at Match will serve her well if she decides to pursue educational policy or administration.
"It's a good introduction to the whole education world," she said.
– By Elizabeth Howell
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