Alumni Leaders who volunteer for the role of a Social Media Ambassador (SMA) work directly with the Social Media Work Groups or Committees in each state to support specific State Director needs and Hope Street Group (HSG) economic opportunity campaigns. The SMAs utilize Twitter and LinkedIn to engage and amplify the work of HSG Teacher Fellows (TF) and partners while providing a coherent and coordinated social media strategy that forms connections among the TFs. This leadership role enables our SMAs to build the capacity of others by educating, elevating, celebrating, and advocating their work across HSG social media platforms.
Social Media Ambassadors
Whitney Aragaki
2016-2018 HI Teacher Fellow
Waiakea High School on Hawaii Island
High School Science Teacher
@sayuri_neko
Whitney Aragaki is a high school science teacher at Waiakea High School on Hawaii Island. She is a National Board Certified Teacher, serves on the Hawaii State Science Work Group, and is a part of the Hawaii District Science and Engineering Fair Steering Committee. A former Woodrow Wilson-Rockefeller Brothers Fund Aspiring Teachers of Color and National Science Foundation GK-12 Graduate Fellow, she was born and raised on Hawaii Island. Whitney has a BA in Biology from Swarthmore College, and an MS in Tropical Conservation Biology and Environmental Science from the University of Hawaii at Hilo.
Amanda Arnold
2016-2018 TN Teacher Fellow
Dobyns-Bennett High School, Kingsport City Schools, Tennessee
High School Associate Principal and RtI Coordinator
@Amanda_Arnold77
Amanda is a Tennessee Hope Street Group Alumni, 2016-2018. She is an Associate Principal and RtI Coordinator at Dobyns-Bennett High School, Kingsport City Schools. Prior to this Amanda taught English at Dobyns-Bennett High School and served as the English 9 Co-Taught Team Leader, English 10 Co-Taught Team Leader, Co-President of the Alpha Zeta Chapter of Alpha Delta Kappa International Honor Society for Women Educators, and on the Tennessee Digital Learning Team. Throughout her career she has served as a school-wide Title I coordinator, school-level testing coordinator, and a 21st Century Community Learning Centers grant coordinator. She holds a Bachelors and Masters degree from East Tennessee State University. In 2010, she earned an Educational Specialist degree in Instruction and Curriculum Leadership from Lincoln Memorial University.
Dave Horan
2017-2019 UT Teacher Fellow
Alpine School District, Utah
Innovative Learning Coach
@downrightdave
Dave Horan is an Innovative Learning Coach in Alpine School District where he also taught 4th-grade for ten years. He is currently serving as an elected board member for the Utah Coalition for Education Technology which puts on a yearly conference, hosts Edcamps, and a weekly #UTedChat. Dave was the 2018 UCET Outstanding Young Educator as well as the 2018 Freedom Elementary Teacher of the Year.
Natalie McCutchen
2013-2015 KY Teacher Fellow
Franklin-Simpson Middle School, Kentucky
Middle School Math Teacher
@NMcCutchen