BOOST turns 15 – celebrate with us!
As we near our 15-year anniversary, we are reminded of how much we value and appreciate our TEAMBOOST partners and want you to meet them. Learn more about our team members and their journeys through the in and out-of-school time field, their goals and aspirations, a few fun things about them, and some of the amazing things they are doing in their communities.
We will be featuring our BOOST Bloggers, Ambassadors, Leadership Team members, and Partners weekly through the end of the year to thank our wonderful team members for their contributions to our incredible community!
Meet BOOST Ambassador Ana Danielson
Ana is a Program Coordinator at Mono County Office of Education in Mammoth Lakes, CA, and has been a wonderful BOOST Ambassador since 2021!
How did you enter the OST, expanded learning, and/or educational field?
I started teaching while in undergrad and have spent over 20 years in education. After school programming was my first full time job out of graduate school and holds a special place in my heart.
What motivates you to do this work?
I love seeing students engage in new and exciting experiences. After school programming allows for more flexibility and out-of-the-box teaching/learning that opens many doors for students that otherwise wouldn’t have those opportunities.
What are you currently reading or watching?
“The Ladies of Managua” by Elani Gage
Share some of your greatest accomplishments.
Some of my best times professionally have been teaching ESL in Latin America. working in poor, rural areas without electricity and other amenities has made me appreciate my life, my upbringing, and all the opportunities that I have had and helped to provide for others.
What are some big goals you are working toward?
I am working towards consulting full-time. I want to share how fun and easy it can be to incorporate language learning, both English and second languages, into any classroom setting. I believe that playing games, moving, and having fun are essential components of learning and can be the change that education needs in order to motivate and connect with ALL students.
What are your top three leadership qualities?
Energy, respect, and communication.
According to Gallup Strength Finder: input, intellection, achiever, responsibility, learner
Name a leader that you admire and why?
Michelle Bachalet, the first female President of Chile. I admire her ability to forgive and learn from the past and dedicate her life to improving the future.
Share an inspirational quote that resonates with you.
“In the end, we are all separate: our stories, no matter how similar, come to a fork and diverge. We are drawn to each other because of our similarities, but it is our differences we must learn to respect.” Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe
As a child, what were your career aspirations?
As a child, I wanted to be a medical doctor or ballerina.
What causes are you passionate about?
Education, the environment, a woman’s right to choose, and animal welfare.
What is one of the highlights of your career?
Working as a Public Library Director was one of the greatest positions I have held. I loved being able to offer programming/classes for adults, teens, and children. Libraries hold a unique place in each community and being able to support the needs of a community as a library can is very rewarding.
How do you show kindness to others and/or share ways others have shown kindness to you?
I believe that being friendly, acknowledging people presence, and respecting people are important ways to show kindness and in turn receive kindness. It is amazing how a simple greeting can make a person smile and feel seen.
What career legacy do you want to leave?
One in which all of my colleagues feel heard and respected.
What’s the biggest mistake you made on the job and what did you learn from it?
One semester while teaching Latin American Literature I had a male, native Spanish speaker who was very intimidating and continuously questioned my language skills and knowledge. I allowed him to make me nervous and in turn, question my own abilities. I wasted almost half of the semester trying to prove to him I was worthy of teaching the course, until I finally realized I had the skills and knowledge and he was the one who felt disadvantaged because I was a foreigner that knew more about his language, culture, and history than he did. In the end, we became close friends and over the years have been able to admire each other and our accomplishments.
Tell us what you had for breakfast!
Banana, chia seed, and honey yogurt smoothie.
From all of us here at TEAMBOOST, thank you, Ana, for being a valued BOOST Ambassador and for sharing your journey in the field with all of us!