The DreamPanel Series brings together speakers with the goal to further conversations related to important topics that impact our community.
Bobby Blount – Moderator
Professionally, Bobby Blount is an engineer currently serving as The MITRE Corporation Cyber Operations Innovation and Partnership Lead and the Texas Region Innovation Lead. Community, Bobby has received national, state and local recognitions for his community support efforts and initiatives. He currently serves on the following local and state boards:
• San Antonio Area African American Community Fund, President
• Northside Independent School District, Board of Trustees
• Texas Caucus of Black School Board Members, Executive Vice President
• Bexar County School Boards Coalition, Founder and President
• Go Public Campaign, Founder and President
• Dragons Soccer Club, Founder and President
• Texas Solar Race Car, Director
• Department of Energy National Science Bowl, Regional Director
Panelists:
- (charter) Dr. Shwanda Ifeoma Onwuachi
Dr. Onwuachi currently serves as an administrator at San Antonio Preparatory Schools. Her passion to foster mathematical mastery in middle school African American boys led her to research the gaps in math and complete a doctorate in education. Her research study focused on the relevance of culturally relevant pedagogy and its possible connection to African American Boys ability to thrive in math. Dr. O, as she is affectionately known, has written curriculum for African American History for Elementary through High School children in private and charter schools. Her non-profit organization, Triumphant Community Development Corp., partners with school leadership and parents to assist children in closing gaps in math and reading. She completed a Doctorate of Education (Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment) at Walden University, Master of Education (Curriculum and Instruction) at Concordia University, and Bachelor of Arts (Business Administration with a Human Resources Concentration) at Saint Leo University.
- (Public) Lorena Auguste
I was happily committed to being a substitute teacher for UCISD in Uvalde Texas from Feb 22, 2018 to July 1 2022. Due to the emotional trauma and distress caused in my life from May 24,2022. I opted to move forward with my life in returning to San Antonio working for several other substitute teacher companies know as Kokua, Scoot, and Kelly services. Being a substitute teacher in Uvalde Texas for so long not only gave me more lie experience but better job opportunities as a small business owner in fashion design and consultation. I also taught Costume design for 4 summers in Uvalde as Summer Fine Arts Academy Instructor. The massacre personally impacted me because I actually knew some of the families and children that passed. They recognized me community wise as a teacher. I didn’t feel like I was ever anything less. My family still lives in Uvalde to this day . I carry the pain of losing students every day of my life but the new experiences I’ve had from this summer and this fall gave me hope and strength to continue educating.
- (HomeSchool)Valerie Raver
Valerie Raver has lived in Texas most of her life and grew up in San Antonio. She is a mother of 6 children whose ages currently range from10-22yo. She homeschooled for almost 20 years; graduating her 2 eldest. Ironically, when much of the world was reluctantly forced into homeschooling their children, it was in 2020 that circumstances forced Valerie to put her children into the school system for the very first time.For several years, she was the moderator of a local Austin homeschool group. She has participated in and organized several co-ops over the years. She structured her curriculum around the Charlotte Mason philosophy of education where the goal of education is 1) to love learning and 2) teach children how to learn. If they learn how to learn what they love, they are surely to be content, successful, and important contributors in society.While certainly not a perfect example of the ideal homeschool parent/teacher, she can speak to the ability of effectively teaching one’s children in the midst of change, uncertainty, and hard seasons.
- ( Private school)Ruth Humbert
Ruth Humbert has been teaching for 34 years. She teaches at The Christian School at Castlehills. She has spent 33 years in Christian Education and 1 year in public education. she has taught the third grade for 8 years, the fifth grade for 4 years, the fifth and sixth (combined) 3 years; the sixth and seventh grade for one year in a title one job at the public-school tutoring Benchmark students who struggle in the Language Arts and the fourth grade for 18 years.
Ruth believes that all children are gifted in various ways. All children need to love learning. If children do not love to learn they will not want to learn. She believes that all children can learn in their own creative way. Children need to be challenged to be the best they can be. Children need to learn to work through their frustration with the teacher as the guide and cheerleader. All the children have beautiful minds, and they need to be encouraged to let their beautiful brain radiate. All children have a voice, and they need to be heard and can have the opportunity to express themselves through cooperative learning
She teaches because she loves children and she hopes that she can make a difference in their lives. she wants to be that role model and the person who believed in them when the world did not.
