“I had been tutoring and working with youth in other volunteer capacities and my heart became burdened to do more as it relates to the education of our children,” she said.
After much prayer and contemplation, Neal decided to make a career change to become a teacher. She applied to the PUTC program and in March 2015, she was selected as one of 10 inaugural members.
You may recognize Neal’s background from a previous New Pittsburgh Courier article written in 2000, titled “Neal’s math, science proficiency lands engineering job with Turner.” At the time, Neal was 21 years old and a recent Penn State University graduate. After spending a semester in Europe and four summers of paid internships, she was hired by Turner Construction to work on the $220 million dollar expansion of the David L. Lawrence Convention Center.
At Turner Construction, she was the only African American female in its architectural engineering department. However, that didn’t discourage her from applying herself and succeeding within the company. After many years moving up the chain and becoming a senior cost engineer, Neal made a tough decision to make a career change and was accepted into the PUTC. Neal now spends her week in a 4th grade math classroom at a Propel Charter School in McKeesport, followed by night classes at Chatham University pursuing a Masters of Arts in Teaching.
The PUTC is a teacher residency program developed by Propel Charter Schools and Chatham University in 2014. Selected participants are provided fully funded tuition for a MAT degree, a $1,350 per month stipend, health insurance, professional development and mentorship in exchange for three years as a full-time teacher in a Propel school. Participants embark on an intense 15 months of graduate coursework and a year-long teacher apprenticeship in one of Propel’s 10 Pittsburgh-area schools. The program is designed specifically for people who want to make a difference in the lives of students and who have a passion for social justice and educational equity.
Despite her very busy schedule, Neal stays focused and is determined to get as much out of the program as possible. She said she leaves school every day “with an overwhelming feeling of knowing that I made the right decision to switch careers. Making a difference in the lives of children brings me so much joy.”
The PUTC is currently accepting applications for its second group of candidates. Applications will be accepted through Nov. 15. For information about the program or to apply, visit pghurbanteachers.org or contact Kimberly Roberts, director of Talent for Propel Schools, at kimberlyroberts@propelschools.org.
Neal resides in Export, Pa., and graduated from Penn State University. She loves traveling and running and hopes to complete 50 races by the time she turns 50. Her advice to someone thinking about making a career switch is to be a teacher.
“Talk to teachers and spend some time observing to give yourself a better idea of exactly what you would be getting into…the road to become and be a teacher is not an easy one, but at the end of the day when you’ve made an impact in the world of education, it is worth it.”
(Information submitted by Propel Charter School.)
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