YBP Peer Spotlight: Alicia Wyche

As with our last spotlight, this series aims to highlight the accomplishments of everyday colleagues. We are everywhere, and our accomplishments are plentiful. Sometimes inspiration is as simple as shining a light to this fact. Today, let’s meet Alicia Wyche.

What is your occupation, full title and work week hours?
I work in education at a school that is dually “owned”. It is a CPS school which also has a partnership with the organization Academy for Urban School Leadership (AUSL). I’m a mentor teacher at the school (Dodge) where I teach one block (2.5 hours) of 8th grade language arts with a graduate student. It is my responsibility to coach and supervise them through a full-year teaching residency. I am also Dodge’s curriculum coordinator. Finally, I am also one of 3 project director’s (science component) for AUSL’s long-term curriculum project. Typically, I work (this includes these positions and grad student responsibilities) about 80-90 hours per week. Approximately 55 hrs each week at the school, 9 hours of class, and another 20-30 hours at the office and library (or sometimes home if I’m really sick of these other places).

Alicia Wyche

How old are you? I’m 26.

If you had to rank the following with regards to importance in your life, how would you (successful career, spiritual clarity, starting your own family, financially well-off)?
Spiritual clarity (most important), successful career, financially well-off, and starting my own family (least important)

For those who are single: Why do you think it has been difficult for you to take that next big step to marriage? What do you enjoy about being single?
It’s difficult for me to think much about marriage because of my career- I’ve made it almost all-consuming. I’m not sure that I enjoy being single; however, I don’t dislike it either. It’s simply what feels right for me at the moment. I’d like to think that I’d be open to a relationship if/when the right person comes along.

What is one piece of advice you constantly rely upon when making tough career decisions?
I’m not sure that I have a particular piece of advice that I rely upon. I know that I always take time to pray, talk with my family and think before coming to any sort of decision.

For those who have been (or currently in) grad school: Why did you choose to go to graduate school?
I chose to go to graduate school because I felt that without this degree it would be difficult to affect change on larger scale levels (state, national, international). A phd will provide me with the skills (and credentials) necessary to conduct and produce research needed on our most understudied, underprivileged populations. I also simply enjoy school and was awarded full scholarships (both times- masters and phd) which made the decision easier.

What has been your greatest triumph since ‘coming into your own’?
Finding peace and acceptance with myself.

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