Camille Bates M.A. ’16, is the newest resource specialist/special education professional at James Monroe Middle School, in Ridgecrest, California. She takes a bright, passionate approach to her role with her students.

“I believe in the capacity for change and people’s ability to be better than they have been,” she says. “I’m focusing on their psycho-emotional well-being, what gets in the way of them learning, and how they talk about what’s happening so they can participate in their learning.

Her background in social justice work also informs everything she does. Part of her own lesson plans include having her students keep record of the good things said about them, have them practice hearing positive things about themselves and then writing them down.

“Schools are our closest connection to community — they draw us together like no other social institution,” Bates says. “There is no other capacity that comes together for the sake of educating a child. That’s a beautiful and special thing about our culture.”