Hello, afterschool professionals! My name is Xaviera (pronounced suh-vair-uh). I have lived in Anchorage for most of my life and come from a large Hmong family. Working with youth has always been on my mind, but it wasn’t until I took an Early Childhood Education course partway through my biology degree that I discovered the absolute joy of working with children. I found myself with a strong desire to support children’s growth and learning, and soon immersed myself into the education world to learn as much as I could, spending a few years teaching at a day care and working as a kindergarten paraprofessional. After I received my Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education from the University of Alaska Southeast, I taught at the primary grade levels in the Anchorage School District for three years, and then spent a short time educating families and girls about Girl Scouts.
My experiences working directly with youth have allowed me to see what challenges our youth face and what changes need to be made in our community so that we can best serve them and set them up for success. I believe that children and families of all backgrounds should be equipped with the tools and resources that will help them thrive and lead happy, healthy lives.
In my School-Aged Child Care Program Specialist position, I am looking forward to building and strengthening relationships with school-aged child care providers across the state of Alaska to partner together in ensuring that school-age children and child care workers receive quality support. I am excited to continue to pursue this calling of mine to serve our youth and our community, and help create a better future!