Champions of Change Blog

A Culture of High Expectations and Opportunities

Amelia Castañeda is being honored as a Latino Educator Champion of Change.

The oldest of four, I was a first-generation college graduate from Virginia Tech. In the fall of 2013, my youngest brother Saul was about to embark on his first semester of college after graduating a year early from high school. He shared with me that I had inspired him to pursue a college education. I was touched, especially since I had helped him along the way with his applications.

Flash forward a year later. Hanging out in Saul’s room back home with my brother Greg, I had the chance to revisit our conversation and I asked specifically, “How did I inspire you?”  Greg chimed in and said simply, “You raised the standard.”

Ever since joining the Higher Achievement team three and a half years ago, I have been able to articulate more clearly what has propelled me to give back to my community. I believe strongly in the three principles that guide Higher Achievement: talent is everywhere, intellect is built through effort, and opportunities matter.

Growing up, nobody expected me to attend college right after high school. Not because my parents didn’t believe in me or because there was a lack of caring, but simply because they didn’t know how I could make that leap. Some of my peers were expected to go to college, but what becomes an expectation for some can be a foreign language to many. During my senior year in high school, I found myself continually feeling left behind. While everyone was speaking this magical language that included college applications and SAT’s, I felt completely lost.

At Higher Achievement, my mission is to bridge that communication gap for families and students and to introduce the expectation of college attendance in the middle school years. We infuse our scholars with opportunities to not only discover their interests but also to prepare them for the rigor of high school and beyond. For example, we take our 7^th and 8^th graders on an overnight college visit, which for most of them is their first experience setting foot on a college campus.

I first joined Higher Achievement in the spring of 2011 as we launched our Richmond affiliate. Prior to joining Higher Achievement, I worked at a school with students with autism in a one-on-one setting. There, I was already touching on two major Higher Achievement principles—setting high standards and expectations, as well as providing opportunities for our students to excel. 

Last year, Higher Achievement introduced a new, bold vision: That, by 2030, all students in Higher Achievement cities (Richmond, Alexandria, Baltimore, Pittsburgh, and Washington, D.C.) will graduate high school prepared for college. As an organization, we have challenged ourselves to make college an expectation across the board. Accomplishing this goal will require a coordinated effort from staff, school districts, and community partners. As our communities band together to realize our bold goal of universal college-readiness by 2030, I am proud of the work we are all doing to raise the standards and make high expectations the new norm for all. One by one, we all have the power to be champions in our own communities and create a domino effect that inspires others to succeed and dream big.

Amelia Castañeda is the Alexandria Center Director for Higher Achievement, an organization dedicated to closing the opportunity gap for middle school youth.

Helping Young People Help Themselves

Shana Runck is being honored as a Latino Educator Champion of Change.

Over the course of my career, I would have never expected that my hard work and dedication to giving back to the community would lead me to being named a White House Champion of Change. As a New Mexico native and long-time educator, I have always had a passion to help at-risk Latino youth and to provide them with skills necessary for a successful transition into college and future employment. I am honored that I’ve been given an opportunity to make a difference in my local community, and I am grateful to receive this national recognition on behalf of New Mexico Educators Federal Credit Union for the programs we have worked so hard to develop.

One of the main programs I’m involved with, Running Start for Careers, allows high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors to earn dual-credit hours toward graduation while gaining valuable work skills and on-the-job training. The course focuses on careers in the financial services industry from tellers and loan officers to marketing and human resources. Students who complete the course have the opportunity to interview for an internship at the Credit Union, where they can earn high school and college credit, an hourly paid wage, and a valuable work experience in a career they are passionate about. 

I also helped create the financial capabilities program at New Mexico Educators Federal Credit Union.  Educational institutions, business, and non-profits utilize the program to provide participants with the knowledge and skills required to effectively manage their finances. The financial capabilities program is scalable to provide an 18-module curriculum, individual financial workshops, and topic-specific training, and it is the only model aligned with New Mexico’s Common Core State Standards. I work closely with each of our partner institutions to adapt the curriculum to reflect their particular goals, ensuring that we provide an effective resource for our partners.

It is a rewarding to know that my work within the local community has inspired students to pursue education and job training in fields that interest them and to learn foundational financial skills. In a state with high poverty rates, low youth employment, and high student dropout rates, I am grateful that New Mexico Educators Federal Credit Union has given me a platform to make a difference in increasing high school graduation rates among Latino youth and providing them with employment opportunities. It is an honor to be named a White House Champion of Change among other inspiring individuals from all across this great nation. 

Shana Runck is the Assistant Vice President of Community Relations and Financial Capabilities with New Mexico Educators Federal Credit Union in Albuquerque, New Mexico.