From Our Stories to Our Purpose: Building Resilience and Pathways into Teaching

Speaker: Mishelle Jurado & Stephan Eiland of Highland High School Chapter

Description:

This interactive session is designed for high school and college students who are interested in becoming educators, with a particular focus on first-generation students navigating unfamiliar academic systems while carrying a strong desire to contribute to change in their communities. Grounded in storytelling, reflection, and practical strategies, the session centers mental health, resilience, and purpose as foundational to sustaining a career in education.

Participants will engage in guided reflection on their lived experiences and explore how personal stories, cultural wealth, and moments of adversity can become sources of strength rather than obstacles. The session also makes the “hidden curriculum” of education visible by addressing time management, goal-setting, and system navigation through a first-generation lens. Emphasis is placed on the idea that caring for oneself is not separate from becoming an educator—it is essential to the work.

Objectives: Participants will be able to:

Identify and affirm their personal stories as assets for building resilience, supporting mental health, and shaping their purpose as future educators.

Apply practical strategies for goal-setting, time management, and system navigation that support persistence through adversity and empower them to create change for themselves and others.

Resources:

9:00 am