It’s always to pleasure to learn about new developments in the careers of the students whom we have honored over the past 15 years.

The latest news to come my way was that Vernon-James Riley, our 2008 honoree, has taken a new position as Director of Operations at Amani Public Charter School, a new school created to make a difference for children in the predominantly poor South Side of Mount Vernon, N.Y.

In this position, he has responsibility for finance, facilities, human resources, purchasing, external affairs and fundraising. He is staging an open house and fundraiser on Wednesday, Nov. 9, from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. For more information, contact Mr. Riley at or check out the school’s website at www.amanicharter.org.

By the way, those of you who attended the reception when we honored Mr. Riley will remember his charming, elegant grandmother, Mrs. Ruby Riley, who came up from Harlem for the occasion. Vernon reports that she turned 91 this year, is in good health and good spirits, and has set her sights on 100.

Mr. Riley is exemplary of the great job that our dedicated, diverse selection committee has done over the years. As I write this, the committee is eagerly awaiting the arrival of a new batch of applications by the Oct. 31 deadline.

We’re always impressed by the talent and commitment of the students who apply. And we’re always frustrated that we can recognize only one of the outstanding applicants from the traditional teacher-preparation programs. We look forward to the time when the endowment is large enough to support the awarding of multiple scholarships.

Looking back over the 15 years since we awarded the first Alma Exley Scholarship, it’s rewarding to realize that nearly all of our recipients remain in education. This is noteworthy since almost one-third of America’s teachers leave the field during their first three years of teaching, and almost half leave after five years. The attrition rate among those who enter teaching through an “alternative” pathway is even higher.

Four recipients have assumed positions of educational leadership. Another is pursuing a Ph.D. in educational leadership. Others are having an impact as teachers in the fields of science, English, social studies, special education, Spanish and elementary education.

To the best of my knowledge, the only recipient who has left teaching is Priscilla Noriega, a Yale graduate from Brownsville, Tex., who taught for two years before enrolling at the University of Texas Law School. Although she is not teaching, her position as a lawyer with Texas RioGrande Legal Aid enables her to advocate for students with regard to special education services and discipline issues. In this role, she continues to serve students in her home area of South Texas.

Needless to say, I’m proud of all of our outstanding recipients who are doing such important work. You can learn about all of them by clicking here to view our Previous Recipients page.

– Woody Exley

Posted October 19, 2011

Chi-Ann Lin has brought much more than book learning to her teaching of East Asian Studies at Staples High School in Westport.

Since joining the faculty in 2001, she has traveled extensively across Asia. She has been accepted into study programs that have taken her to Japan, South Korea, China, United Arab Emirates, Turkey and Indonesia. She has soaked up the history and culture of these countries, enriching her classes with knowledge that can be gained only by firsthand experience.

We honored Ms. Lin with an Alma Exley Scholarship in 1999. Since then, I have enjoyed hearing about her travels when we met at our annual receptions and meetings of the selection committee, on which she has served for several years.

But I thought this was a good time to call her and learn more about how her globetrotting has broadened her experience and enriched her classes.

When Ms. Lin began her career in the classroom, she asked to teach East Asian Studies. She thought this would enable her to delve more deeply into this important subject – and also to learn more about her own ethnic background.

Ms. Lin was raised in Alabama and Connecticut by parents who had come from China and Taiwan before meeting in New York City. She attended Newington High School and graduated with honors from the five-year program at the University of Connecticut in 2001.

After taking the position in Westport, she applied to the Fulbright Memorial Fund and was chosen for the program that took her to Japan in 2007 with 200 other American teachers. She spent three weeks in Tokyo and Himeji, learning about Japanese history, politics, education and culture. Returning home, she created a blog for her students. Her extensive photos and commentary stimulated lively discussions in her classroom.

“That’s when I got the travel bug,” she said, explaining that she continued to apply for foreign study programs. During the summer of 2008, Ms. Lin participated in a Yale PIER (Programs in International Educational Resources) Institute focusing on the Silk Road, a major, ancient trade route across China. After attending lectures at Yale, she visited western China and returned home via stops in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, and Istanbul, Turkey.

The next summer she participated in a two-week Korean Studies Workshop based at Yonsei University in Seoul.

Finally, in the summer of 2010, she spent over a month in Indonesia with a Fulbright Hays Group Project Abroad. This enabled her to visit several islands of the archipelago, and stay at an Islamic boarding school.

“In Japan, I learned about the impact of Confucianism on the culture,” she said. “Traveling to western China and Indonesia opened my eyes to the presence of Islam in Asia.”

Experiences gained in her travels have inspired new ideas for her teaching and new perspectives on history and culture to share with her students.

“As an Asian American, I feel an obligation to offer my students an accurate and meaningful curriculum to help them learn about a region that is sometimes misunderstood,” she said.

“Each year, more Asian American students have enrolled in the East Asian Studies course,” she said. “They want to get a better understanding of their culture and history, and I believe that my travels have helped me to give them a more meaningful learning experience.”

Ms. Lin said that one of the most important lessons she has learned as a teacher is the importance of being a lifelong learner. She hopes to continue exploring the world and sharing her newfound knowledge with her students.

And she urges other teachers to take advantage of the kind of programs that have benefited her. “There are a lot of programs out there,” she said. “They can make a big difference in bringing a fresh approach to the classroom.” Her programs were fully funded by the sponsoring organizations, except for the Indonesia and Silk Road trips, for which she paid part of the cost.

Each of our Alma Exley Scholars is having an impact in a way that is unique to their individual interests and talents. I’m proud of all of them, and I’m glad this website gives me the opportunity to let you know what they are accomplishing in their diverse careers.

– Woody Exley

Posted September 8, 2011

Since receiving an Alma Exley Scholarship in 2010, Khalil Graham has had a laser-sharp focus on earning his doctorate in educational leadership. But this summer he is putting students first.

He is working in Sacramento at the national headquarters of StudentsFirst, an education reform organization founded last year by Michelle Rhee, the former chancellor of the Washington, D.C., public schools.

Since Mr. Graham moved from the green hills of Kentucky to the palm tree-lined streets of the California state capital, I gave him a call to see how things were going.

I learned that he is immersed in an ambitious drive to build a national organization with a million members in its first year of existence.

He is one of 17 summer associates at StudentsFirst from law schools, business schools, schools of education and the teaching ranks. He serves on the planning team, where he is helping to chart the future direction of the organization – trying to determine where to focus to have the greatest impact.

Meanwhile, Mr. Graham is learning a lot about how politics interfaces with education across the country. It’s essential to understand the political process, he says, in order to succeed in bringing about large-scale changes in the educational system.

“For anyone who wants to be involved in educational reform, it’s important to understand why schools are they way they are,” he told me, “and to see why change hasn’t been as progressive as we want to see it.

“You can’t make changes in the schools until you make changes in the legislatures and Department of Education,” he said.

From his position at StudentsFirst, Mr. Graham is getting a broad view of reform efforts in the states and at the national level.

“Once you see the big picture, it makes it easier to figure out, Where do I need to be in this change process to have the biggest impact?” he said. “Do I need to be somebody who works with the legislatures to make sure the right policies are being pushed? Do I need to be somebody in the schools who can implement these policies? You’ve got to find a place that works for you.”

Michelle Rhee has said she started StudentsFirst because “for too long our educational policies have focused on adults, not kids.” She sees her organization as a catalyst in bringing about change by placing a higher priority on the needs of children.

As Mr. Graham observed, “The adults in the educational system – the teachers, the school boards, the politicians — have been well represented. But the students – those who are being affected by the educational system – don’t have representation.”

He explained that StudentsFirst is focused on making sure that students are represented when legislatures write laws and when various factions negotiate policies affecting kids.

“Hopefully, students’ voices will be heard,” he said, “and students will be represented in terms of what’s best for their education in the future.”

Mr. Graham acknowledged that StudentsFirst has received criticism from some educators, but he said the negativity has come from people who are afraid of changing the status quo.

“This is not an organization that’s trying to fight the unions or fire teachers,” he said. “We want what’s best for the students, and sometimes this means contradicting what’s best for adults.”

Graham will return to the University of Kentucky in September to resume his doctoral program. His ambitious goal is to complete the program by the end of 2012.

His educational journey began in the public schools of Brooklyn, N.Y., where he was raised by his grandmother. He attended Loomis Chaffee School in Windsor, Conn., on a scholarship. Then he earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Richmond and a master’s degree from Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, Conn.

Everyone affiliated with the Alma Exley Scholarship Program is proud that he is a member of our “family,” and we wish him the best in his efforts to make a difference for the youth of our country in the years ahead.

– Woody Exley

Posted August 2, 2011