Lessons from the Classroom and Encolor

I started my career thinking I would spend my life in a classroom teaching math. When I graduated with my Master's in Middle School Math Education from the University of Florida, I thought I would spend my career inspiring preteens to see that math is fun and useful in the real world. (The number of students who rolled their eyes when I asked, "Isn't this fun?" could fill an entire classroom.)

After teaching in many states and working with students from grades 2 through 8, I realized my degree hadn't taught me what mattered most. The classroom did. What mattered was making all students feel heard, valued, and loved. One of the hardest things for a student is feeling like their teacher doesn't like them. How can they focus on the Pythagorean theorem when they don't feel seen or supported?

In my classroom, I worked to create an environment where mistakes were safe. I encouraged participation and reminded students that it's okay to get things wrong. I even had a poster that stated: MATH stands for Mistakes Allow Thinking to Happen.

This belief stayed with me through every stage that followed.

After having children, I transitioned into administrative roles at their schools. I knew I couldn't balance classroom teaching with parenting at that stage of life. Then COVID hit, and I shifted into working remotely for a nonprofit.

After five years of working from home, and really missing being around people, I made the decision to return to the classroom. After a 17-year hiatus, one thing remained constant: all students still wanted the same things — to be heard, to be valued, to be loved.

Even though I loved my students, parents, and coworkers, I struggled to balance home and work life in a sustainable way. At the end of the 2024-2025 school year, Quinn gave me the opportunity to join Encolor as an Executive Assistant.

A year flies by quickly.

Now, I'm the student, and Quinn and her team are the teachers. I've learned so much:

• Feelings are feelings.

• Trust your instincts.

• Hold your people close.

• Don't judge—improve.

• Trust each other.

• Let people help.

• Take one day at a time.

• Practice what you preach.

• Listen to listen, not to reply.

• Make people feel important—say their name and understand their truth.

My first year at Encolor has been full of meaningful moments. We celebrated Encolor's 5th birthday, hosted our inaugural Black Women in Energy Summit, and I've grown through both supporting my team and being supported by them.

I've had room to make mistakes along the way and have learned from every single one of them.

While I still don't love working from home (I'm definitely a people person), I'm getting better at balancing work and life. But I've learned something even more important: the classroom is a microcosm of life.

Mistakes allow thinking to happen, and we all want to be heard, valued, and loved.

I'm proud to work for an organization that puts those values into practice every day.