Office of Maricopa County School Superintendent Steve Watson’s Post

Now that the academic year has ended, I wanted to take some time to reflect and share how my sophomore year at UH went. I’d love to hear some insight or advice from anyone who has been in a similar situation. During my sophomore year, I...  ✅ Finally decided on my double major: Entrepreneurship  ✅ Filed my degree plan for MIS and Entrepreneurship (after struggling with a pre-req class for the last three semesters)  ✅ Decided to file for a minor in Spanish for the Global Professions  ✅ Found three student organizations to join (after struggling to get involved during my freshman year)  ✅ Became president of UH PAIR (Partnership for the Advancement and Immersion of Refugees) for the 2024-2025 academic year  ✅ Earned two scholarships from the Honors College for Spring 2024  ✅ Planned my first project that was community service orientated with the Bauer Honors Leadership Program and Books Between Kids  ✅ Boosted my GPA after seeing it decline since my arrival at UH  ✅ Got accepted to work as a Residential Advisor for the 2024-2025 academic year    Looking back, I realize my path hasn’t been the smoothest or predictable. It’s hard to stay motivated or positive at times. Still, I’m glad to have made progress that my freshman year didn’t see. As for what I have planned, I’d like to...  ❇️ Update my LinkedIn more often  ❇️ Explore potential career opportunities (now that I’ve decided my areas of study)  ❇️ Look into internship and research opportunities (or investigate creating a new type of project)  ❇️ Increase my involvement with community service through volunteering and project planning   ❇️ Work on my personal brand and see how I can expand my network  ❇️ Apply to more scholarships and student recognition events    I’m excited to plan out and expand on these goals over the summer, and I’d love to see just how much further I can turn things around compared to my first year. Here’s to another successful academic year! 

🔎 ➡️ Did you know Fordham University students take on internships at the United Nations, are mentored by CEOs of Fortune 500 companies, and earn prestigious Fulbright Fellowships to continue their studies and work around the world? Learn more about this featured college on CollegeXpress! #colleges #highered #highereducation #collegesanduniversities #collegesearch #collegeadmission #exploringcolleges #students #highschoolstudents #collegestudents

At BEN, we’re all about seeking new ways to expand learning opportunities for public school teachers and students. New things we introduced into our 2023 programs: collaborations with Bermuda Zoological Society and Planet Math to reduce transportation costs, four new field trip expeditions around the island, an expansion to our BEN Book Club for 4-5 year olds and increased professional development offerings for teachers.   However, the real game changer has been our summer reading program. This is an intervention program targeting students in Grade 2 who have not fully mastered phonics and the alphabetic code. With limited spaces available to just one year group, we wondered how this summer program could make more impact on reading challenges in schools. Our solution: to create five paid internships for education undergraduates giving them first-hand experience of evidence-based reading teaching methods.  We couldn’t have done this without the support of our summer program host, Somersfield Academy Bermuda and the generous support of Fortitude Re and Centennial Bermuda Foundation.  Innovation isn’t just a buzzword: it’s the backbone of our mission to build a professional learning community that expands opportunities for Bermuda’s public school teachers and students. #schoolsuccess #educationalleadership #bermuda

🔎 ➡️ Did you know Hollins University's nationally recognized study abroad program, guaranteed internship placements, and Batten Leadership Institute all serve to prepare students to be leaders in their future professions? Learn more about this featured college on CollegeXpress! #colleges #highered #highereducation #collegesanduniversities #collegesearch #collegeadmission #exploringcolleges #students #highschoolstudents #collegestudents

Here’s an interesting question for donors to ask non-profits: “How do you innovate?” As we see it, any organization that wants to be a catalyst for change cannot get set in their ways. Innovation has to be part of the culture and it’s one of the metrics that we’d like to be measured by.

Summer is nearly here! For high school students, those long, sunny days → aren't just for lounging by the pool. The summer before your senior year is prime time, → to give your college applications a competitive edge. My advice is ”Use this free time strategically.” Here are 5 tips to make the most of your summer: 1) Work on application essay drafts. The personal statement lets you showcase your unique voice beyond grades. Use the extra time to brainstorm topics and refine multiple drafts until the essays sing. 2) Explore meaningful activities. Deepen your extracurricular profile by pursuing enriching experiences like internships, volunteering, summer programs, self-driven projects, or jobs aligned with your interests. Consistency matters. 3) Prepare for standardized tests. Before the school year kicks into high gear, dedicate focused prep time to the SAT/ACT. Take practice tests, identify weak areas, and aim to maximize your scores. 4) Finalize your college list For rising seniors and transfer students - thoroughly examine potential schools this summer. Consider factors like academics, cost, campus culture, and more. A thoughtful, tailored list positions you optimally for successful applications. For rising sophomores and juniors - dedicate time to researching schools of interest. Focus on academic programs, cost, campus life/culture, location/size, extracurricular offerings, as well as acceptance and graduation rates. An early, informed start on your college list will pay dividends later. 5) Schedule college visits. With fewer students on campus, summer is ideal for attending tours, meeting admission staff and getting an authentic feel for schools. *** Summer provides a valuable runway for motivated students to make headway on upcoming applications.

Last weekend, I visited my Alma Mater, Davidson College - recently ranked top 10 best college in the nation by The Wall Street Journal, Go Cats! As an alumni board volunteer, I had the awesome opportunity to meet with student leaders at the school. My aha? We, as alumni, are seen as beacons and torchbearers! Students seek our experiences so that our paths & accomplishments can serve as inspiration. This means as an alumni community, we have a responsibility and an opportunity to support students in achieving their full potential- woah. During our session, three key themes emerged: - The importance of providing vast visibility into alumni paths toward success. - The need for regional alumni presence during student showcases. - Access to insights on how previous student groups were managed, enabling current students to learn from both successes and challenges. Call to action?! Davidson alumni, get ready to be tapped and asked to plug in! Also, any international students who were able to successfully source internships to remain in the US post-graduation, please DM me. Your guidance is requested! -- Left to right: @Christopher Anosike, Mikayla Bowens, Danielle Dory Hyppolite, Brianna Burton, Rayna McKenzie, Stacy Miruka, Kasha Salia, Chris Burton, D.Min., Jalyssa Hobbs, @Daniel Thomas, Arielle Germeus. Photo taken by Sarah Taylor <3

Some moments stay with you forever. In late 2018, I embarked on a rural internship that truly changed my perspective. We spent nearly a month in remote villages, far removed from the comforts we take for granted. Living in tents, braving the cold 4-degree nights, and working hand-in-hand with an NGO, we immersed ourselves in a world so different from our own. Each day, we’d venture into the heart of the village, and my group had the chance to visit schools. I’ll never forget the energy of the children—their wide, curious eyes as they learned their ABCs, the pure joy they found in something as simple as repeating the letters after me. In this video, I’m teaching the pre-primary kids, and it brings back a flood of memories. Their laughter, their enthusiasm, and their eagerness to learn—it was contagious. We didn’t just stop at the classroom. With the secondary students, we organized a community fair, teaching them life skills—how to make goods, sell them, and create something with their own hands. Some kids were skilled singers, others excelled at sports, and yes, some were avid PUBG players! XD But more than that, they were filled with potential, waiting to be unlocked. The fair wasn’t just about entrepreneurship—it was about instilling confidence, hope, and the belief that they could achieve something great. We even took the opportunity to educate the villagers about government schemes that could uplift their lives. This experience taught me the power of education, not only in the traditional sense but in the way it can ignite change, inspire growth, and build stronger communities. It’s an experience that continues to shape who I am today—reminding me of the importance of giving back, of learning through teaching, and of the resilience we all carry within us. Education has always been close to my heart, and moments like these reinforce its value. I am forever grateful for the chance to work with these incredible kids, to see the world through their eyes, and to contribute, in whatever small way, to their future. These memories are not just cherished—they’re a reminder that in giving, we receive so much more in return. School of Liberal Studies PDEU, Pandit Deendayal Energy University (PDEU) #RuralInternship #CommunityImpact #EducationForAll #LearningThroughTeaching #GivingBack #SelfGrowth

Every week new ToucanTech membership communities launch 🚀 around the world! What I particularly 💙 about this one (for the Tanglin Trust School in Singapore) - is the effort they’ve put into their launch “offer”. They’re not just saying ‘hey, we have a new website, come and sign-up’, they’re offering: - career-inspiring video interviews - enticing click-bait (eg fun class photos) - exclusive publications (eg historic docs) - meaningful adventure travel awards - valuable professional development grants - future schedule of interesting events Lots of ‘hooks’ to appeal to different people! Quality content is still king 👑 when building community engagement, and at ToucanTech we make it easy to publish different formats, repurpose, duplicate, track and collate your content in to newsletters and campaigns ⭐️

Students, extracurriculars WILL help you stand out for top policy internships—if you’re strategic! Here are 15 extracurriculars to consider joining: 1. Research Projects 2. On-Campus Work Experience 3. Student Government Association (SGA) 4. Model United Nations 5. Mock Trial 6. Debate Team 7. Political Canvassing 8. Volunteering with Local Nonprofits or NGOs 9. Publishing Articles 10. Public Speaking Clubs (like Toastmasters) 11. Pre-Law & Honor Societies 12. Campus Newspaper Editor 13. Civil Rights Advocacy Groups 14. Campus Radio/Podcast Hosting 15. Campus Political Organizations The key: It’s NOT about joining as many as possible.  A solid combination of 2-3 can really make you stand out. Focus on those where you can: (1) Gain leadership opportunities. (2) Help grow the organization. (3) Earn awards or recognition (bonus points!). Remember: Quality over quantity. 👇 Comment your favorite below!