Alekz's Masters in Teaching

I am humbled, grateful, and excited to announce that, only by the grace of God, I have been admitted to the University of Portland’s Masters in Teaching program; and more specifically, their teaching residency through Open School.  I am also incredibly honored to be the first in my family to pursue a Masters degree! This program aligns with my values and commitment to equity, social justice and serving marginalized youth. I feel blessed to have been afforded the opportunity to pursue my dream of being a teacher – helping to pay forward all of the love, support, and encouragement I received from quality educators (Mr. Kumasaka, Ms. Allison, Ms. Rahsaan, Mr. Zeichner, Mr. Fort, etc.)  when I was a student at Chief Sealth High School.

Those teachers showed me the power that educators posses to directly impact the lives of young people and support them in achieving personal and community life achievements. They set high expectations for me, held me accountable in meeting deadlines, encouraged me to pursue interests and passions, and asked me about my life outside of school. In addition, they highlighted opportunities I could pursue that felt out of reach, and most importantly, did their best to be present with me when I really needed support. It was because of those teachers, who saw my potential before I did, that I decided that I wanted to become one myself.

I graduated from Western Washington University with a concentration in Law, Diversity & Justice: US Race Relations & Youth of Color & followed my heart in hopes of finding my way into a classroom. Thankfully, that opportunity has ARRIVED!!!!

Here's the break down:

The amount I'm asking for is what tuition costs for summer session. By crowd funding for this amount, it is allowing my little family some flexbility to end our current lease, pay for moving expenses, locate a new place to stay, etc. In addition to Go Fund Me, I am also currently applying for scholarships, applying for jobs that will allow me to pay for tuition myself, and am pursuing interest free student loan options.

Please support me, my wife, and our daughter in my pursuit of becoming a teacher who is invested in preparing future generations of youth for success!

Humbly,

Alekzandr "Yasin" Wray and Family

P.S. For more information about the University of Portland's Teaching Residency and the Open School. Please refer to the links below!

http://education.up.edu/default.aspx?cid=13229&pid=278

http://openmeadow.org/programs/open-school/