David Adubi shares their co-op experience as Equity Assistant for the Boston Public Schools Office of Equity.
Tell us about your co-op.
I had the distinct privilege of working for Boston Public Schools (BPS), Office of Equity! As a matter of fact, I did both of my Co-op cycles within the district and can proudly say that I have acquired over a year of professional experience working within BPS. I worked both my co-op cycles in the role of an Equity Assistant for the Office. A standard workday would begin with my commute from home to the Central Office. I would typically arrive each day within the timeframe of 8:00 – 8:30am. Upon arrival, I would get my work computer ready and check the mainline extension for any messages left overnight. I would take down names and numbers of the people contacting the office in order to find a way to address their immediate concerns. Once I had reviewed each message, I would then forward the calls, and begin my overall coverage of the main extension line. When new incoming calls would come in, I would take detailed notes of the calls during the intake phase, determine how best the Office can assist or proceed with the matter, and then work and brief the members of the full-time staff on the situation and the appropriate next steps.
Attending to the calls and doing administrative office tasks would take up most of my workday. But in addition to covering the line, my role consisted of doing the following: Assisting school leaders and school administrators on the forms they need to complete related to bias-based and sexual misconduct incidents they report, documenting and keeping detailed notes on incidents, organizing paperwork related to incidents, printing and keeping track of submitted forms, creating case packets for each incident, tracking and updating the office’s internal tracking and spreadsheets, and much more. In addition to the administrative tasks, I would also work on various short and long terms projects at the behest of my manager and supervisors, organize and schedule the Office’s Equity Protocols Training and Racial Equity Planning Tool Trainings in collaboration with the Opportunity Gaps Office, and much more. I held four liaison roles during my second cycle with the Office.
Why did you decide to pursue this co-op?
I decided to pursue this co-op because it felt like the perfect fit. My education experience came full circle to me. I attended a Boston Public School at the elementary level, attended a Charter school at the middle school level, and eventually went on to graduate from a private Jesuit Catholic High school. My educational experiences further informed my perspective and made me cognizant of the privilege I had in attending a prestigious high school. I became aware of the overwhelming educational disparities in public and charter school education. My informed perspective on education along with my passion for diversity, equity, inclusivity, and eliminating gaps of opportunity made the BPS Equity Office the perfect fit. I found out about this co-op through the NUCareers portal.
How has this co-op impacted you personally?
My co-op experiences have had amazing impacts on me. I improved in the area of navigating different computer and digital platforms and improved my overall comfort around technology, which was initially a weakness of mine. My co-op experiences have further reinforced my passion and interest in a Human Resources (HR) career. My goal upon graduation is to work in HR and eventually pursue an MBA with a HR concentration. I still have interest in attending law school down the line, but my plans on attending law school right away has changed.
What was your biggest takeaway from this co-op?
My biggest takeaway from my co-op experience is to always be open to growth. Over the course of my co-op experience, there were a number of successes, but also many challenges. But in the most adverse of times, I sought to always bring the very best of myself by working incredibly hard and being open to growth and constructive criticism for the sake of improving. I was able to grow tremendously both personally and as a professional. I learned so much about professionalism, improved my comprehensive writing and verbal skills, did incredibly impactful and fulfilling work. My work experience has given me the opportunity to work directly with many top tier professionals who are willing to be mentors and supporters of mine as I progress educationally and professionally. My experiences on co-op continues to be the gift that keeps on giving.
Learn more about co-op in the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice.
