Through its 2017 five-year Strategic Plan, Breakthrough SJC made the program and financial commitment to serve more students and expand support through college graduation. In 2006, Breakthrough SJC began with 22 students. Five years, ago the program was serving 150 students in middle through high school. Today, Breakthrough serves 230 students, with a goal to expand the number of students to 360 by the 2021-2022 school year.
To fully support the expanded program goals and services, Breakthrough SJC has reorganized and expanded its staff from two full time employees to three, the director, an assistant director of middle and high school programs, and assistant director of college access and completion.
Education has been a lifelong love for native Georgian, Qunsia Daniel. Her genuine passion for learning stemmed from her own family’s voracious support of reading and writing which led her to pursue her BS in Secondary Education – English from Northwestern University. While there, she was introduced to various non-profit collaboratives in the Evanston community. Her involvement led her to apply to Breakthrough Collaborative’s Summer Teaching Fellowship where she served Breakthrough San Juan Capistrano for two summers. Upon graduation, she joined the Jacksonville Corps Region of Teach For America. There she taught high school English and served beyond her two year commitment. In efforts to continue the work in achieving educational equity, she has also served as staff for Teach For America’s Florida Regional Institute as a Corps Member Advisor and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Facilitator. She is excited to join the Breakthrough San Juan team to support students in their highest academic endeavors and beyond!
For Director Alex Serna and Assistant Director Sam Geary, Qunsia’s arrival will be a “return home” to Breakthrough after she served as a BTSJC Teaching Fellow in 2014 and 2015.
On this occasion, Director Alex Serna expressed:
“I am so excited for Qunsia to bring her experiences as a Teaching Fellow and innovate on our Middle and Early High School Programs. Her work in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion informs her work with students, and I look forward to how this will impact our community.”
