Before I ever imagined becoming a teacher, I was a student in Dr. Roshone Ault Lee’s classroom. She wasn’t just an educator who taught a subject — she saw her students. She saw me.
My sister and I had the privilege of learning from Dr. Lee at RCS Charter School in West Harlem. A 1999 TeachFor America (TFA) New York corps member, Dr. Lee brought a level of passion and intention that shaped how I came to understand the role of a teacher. Her classroom was a space where we felt seen, affirmed, and pushed to grow. That experience didn’t just leave an impression — it helped guide the way I now approach my own classroom.
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Today, I teach English Language Arts at South Bronx Academy for Applied Media — the very school Dr. Lee founded in 2005 and where she now serves as Principal. It’s more than just a full-circle moment — it’s a continuation of the legacy she built and the values she modeled: academic excellence, cultural pride, and the belief that all students can and will achieve.
I come from a family of educators and have always loved learning, but I didn’t initially see myself at the front of a classroom. It wasn’t until I joined TFA’s New York corps that I truly understood the scale of the educational gaps in our country — and the role I could play in closing them. TFA gave me the training and support I needed, but it also helped me reconnect with the educators who had shaped me — especially Dr. Lee — and reflect on how their influence prepared me to teach with purpose.
I know the transformative power of a teacher who sees your full potential.
There’s something powerful about teaching in a school that was designed for and by the community it serves. I bring my passion for literature into the classroom not just to teach reading skills, but to invite my students to find their voice, their purpose, and their power.
This work is deeply personal. I know what it feels like to be a young student trying to figure out who you are and what you’re capable of. And I know the transformative power of a teacher who sees your full potential. That’s what Dr. Lee did for me and my sister — and now, as her colleague, I strive to pass on that same sense of purpose to my students.
Every day, I walk into my classroom thinking about what it means to teach with intention — not for recognition, but for impact. If even one of my students walks away feeling inspired the way I once did in Dr. Lee’s class, I know I’m continuing the work she modeled for me.
In a time when educators are undervalued and leaving the profession in record numbers, I want to remind us all: influence matters. Teachers matter. And the seeds we plant today — through patience, rigor, and love — can grow into something we may not see right away, but that will last for generations.
Deja Senghor is a middle school English Language Arts teacher at South Bronx Academy for Applied Media. She is a 2022 Teach For America New York alum and a member of the Alumni Associate Board.