Welcome to “3 Questions with …”, a recurring feature on the Career Center blog. We’re asking alumni of all graduation years and career interests to share a bit of their experiences and advice.
Thiago Lima, ’13, Director of Professional Development at Springboard Collaborative
1. In just a few sentences, please tell us about your current job/graduate program/vocational endeavor.
I work as the Director of Professional Development at Springboard Collaborative, a national education non-profit organization that works with school districts to close the reading gap for students through tapping into the potential of family engagement. I manage a team responsible for scheduling, preparing, and facilitating professional learning experiences that prepare teachers to implement our various programs at their sites. A typical day in my role involves consulting with school leaders, updating presentations, interacting with new teachers, and coaching my direct reports on best practices on facilitation.
2. How did your time at Tufts influence your career journey?
I studied Political Science at Tufts and originally wanted to work in public policy. I enjoyed the courses that I took, but I got even more out of my civic service and volunteer work. Those experiences gave me a much better sense of the issues people face on a daily basis and how to work with and for diverse audiences.
3. What advice would you offer to a student who wants to pursue a career path like yours?
First, get involved with causes that you care about! You’ll probably never have as much free time as you do during your college years, so it’s a great time to start volunteering for things that matter to you. Also, make sure you’ve done the work before you try to influence it. Inequity can feel so overwhelming that you might want to immediately implement the ideas you have to shape systems and legislation. However, you’ll be missing so much context if you haven’t taken the time to do the work alongside others. I got into education through Teach for America and Americorps and Peace Corps also provide great opportunities for civic engagement.
Get advice and information through career conversations
Chat with people like Thiago in our flash mentoring database, The Herd
