“One of the takeaways I got from this internship is I have to be intentional in everything I do... so when you are networking or doing your work, what transferrable skills are you building upon so you can bring it to the next opportunity?”
The UNCF K-12 Education Fellowship is a leadership and talent development initiative aimed at building a robust pipeline of high-achieving African Americans engaged in K-12 education in America.
“There are so many roles in education that need to be filled—the roles go beyond being a teacher.”
“The fellowship had space and opportunities to be in front of strong movers and change-agents in the education reform space. When you're in that seat, you have an opportunity that hits you and says, 'Oh, I can also do that.'”
“This internship will take you to different opportunities and experiences that allow you to align your passions with education, and I am very grateful for the experience that it has brought me.”
“I tell people all the time, the best way to get yourself opportunities is to get yourself into an internship like the Walton program.”
UNCF and HBCUs are building a pipeline of African American leaders in K-12 education across the United States.
Learn More“The biggest takeaway for me is the professional growth I've gotten from this experience.”
“The connections don't stop at the fellowship. They keep in contact with you—positive, actual impactful contact.”
“I saw the levels of investment people were willing to make to get kids to college. When I went back to school, it helped me find those pockets of investment in my own community, and I began to teach.”
“The program gives you some insight into where you want to live after you graduate, and it helps you see what career path you want to take.”
“When I started my journey, I wanted to be a hospital social worker. So now, because of this experience, I'm considering being a school social worker, because it deals a lot more with having a bigger impact on kids; it's especially important for me to have that impact on urban areas.”
“Seeing all these residents, who came from all sorts of different backgrounds and had different experiences in college or in high school, was inspiring to see because it made me realize I had made the right choice.”
“One thing the program taught me is that I must learn to use all my skills and all my talents.”
“I believe future students should apply for this opportunity because education affects all of us. Being a part of this fellowship, you get a sense of what education looks like from the inside out.”
“Even if you don't want to be a teacher, just learning new things about the policies, the business part of it; seeing what teachers and principals have to go through to make sure students get the proper education they need is a real eye-opener.”
“This fellowship offers the opportunity to be placed within a professional environment, to enhance your interpersonal skills that you'll need to use later on in life and expertise within departments you would have never thought you'd be a part of.”
“Regardless of your field of study or what your end career is going to be, there are things you can gain with this fellowship, whether it's a network, or just general professional development.”