Courtney Lok
77 Magnolia Street  Newark, NJ 07108  courtneyalok@gmail.com  (862) 452-1300
My name is Courtney Lok and I am a senior at Rider University. I am truly
appreciative to have this opportunity to share my love for children and teaching with you.
I am from Newark, New Jersey, and am an alumna of TEAM Academy. I contribute most
of my educational successes and endeavors to them. From there, I attended a boarding
school in New Hope, Pennsylvania called Solebury School. Now, I am continuing my
education at Rider University. At Rider, I am a double major in Elementary Education
and Sociology. I have had such an amazing education, and my ultimate goal as a teacher
is to be able to give back to students, so they can experience school the way I did.
My favorite quote about education comes from William Butler Yeats and he says,
“Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire”. As an educator, who truly
wants all students to be successful, it is my responsibility to help students light their own
fires. This is done by inspiring and encouraging students to work hard to reach goals, and
also by helping students become knowledgeable about various pathways to reach goals.
When I think of the filling of a pail, I think about water fitting to the mold of the pail;
learning and educating should be exactly the opposite, just like the lighting of a fire.
Sparks fly, and the fire starts out slow, but eventually it burns with a certain confidence
and radiance that can only be fostered by the people that encouraged it to do so.
I want to be a founding teacher at Life Academy because it has always been my
dream to work for TEAM Charter Schools. TEAM is the first school I attended that made
learning fun and in 5th grade, that’s a big deal. Teachers actually cared for their students
and that showed through how dedicated they were to our educational successes and
making a difference in our lives. I want to make differences in the lives of my students
just as some of the great founding teachers of TEAM Academy like Mr. Hill, Mr.
Reagans, and Mrs. Fisher. Working at Life Academy will allow me the ability to inspire
students to grow a love for learning, while making an impact on their lives. I want be a
founding teacher at Life Academy because I know it works! I have faith in KIPP and the
TEAM network. Life Academy has the ability to revolutionize a community. Much like
other TEAM schools, Life Academy will show students and families that education is
important and the knowledge that kids possess is powerful. We have that power to
change students’ attitudes toward education and their lives, and put them in a system that
works. All students deserve it, and I want to share in it.
The purpose of school is to foster an empowered, well-rounded individual.
Students should leave an institution with the confidence and ability to tackle their next
challenges in life: to and through college, and then onto adulthood. Schools provide the
foundation for students to thrive in every aspect of their lives. Schools need dedicated
educators, in every grade level, who want to guide all students on their journeys through
life; only then, will a well-rounded individual be cultivated.
Thank you for considering me for a position as a founding co-teacher at Life
Academy. I truly enjoy the work I do with children because they also motivate me to
work harder everyday. I am looking forward to speaking with you soon.
Sincerely,
Courtney Lok