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Life in the City

Welcome to the Sunshine City - St. Pete! With an average of 361 days of sunshine a year, the Tampa Bay is an amazing home for the ACE Teaching Fellows. Our teachers are blessed to serve communities in the vibrant city of Tampa. Just across the bridge, you will find our home nestled in Pinellas Park, a peninsula between the Tampa Bay and the Gulf. Community life is a blast in St. Pete, featuring lots of cute coffee shops downtown, nature walks on the lookout for Florida wildlife, and lots of trips to all the nearby beaches!  

ACE St. Petersburg

HometownLauren Barry

Stoneham, MA

Undergraduate Institution

University of Notre Dame

Undergraduate Studies

Major: Mechanical Engineering

What is the one thing that you love most about your ACE school? Why?

One thing that I love most about my ACE school is the students! The kids at Cristo Rey Tampa are amazing. From their beautiful reverence at mass to all of the many times they had me laughing, the kids made my first year of teaching so special. I've been able to get to know most of the students at our school, and I feel so blessed to have been welcomed into their community.

HometownKatie Hartnett

Hingham, MA

Undergraduate Institution

Boston College

Undergraduate Studies

Major: History

Minor: Business

How do you hope to grow in your experience as an ACE teacher?

I hope to grow in my faith, and become a more mature, loving and authentic person.

HometownEthan Kirsch

Raleigh, NC

Undergraduate Institution

University of North Carolina, Wilmington

Undergraduate Studies

Major: English Literary and Cultural Studies

Minor: Business

How do you hope to grow in your experience as an ACE teacher?

I hope to grow in confidence as an educator and community member. Going from a college student to a full blown teacher is a big leap, but ACE has given me the tools to take on challenges and succeed at them. It's a hard program, but I believe I will come out of it as a strong educator and young professional.

HometownSarah VanFleet

Williamsport, PA

Undergraduate Institution

Villanova University

Undergraduate Studies

Major: Biological Sciences

Minor: Humanities, Theology, and Global Health

What is one of your favorite memories from your first year in ACE Teaching Fellows?

One of my favorite memories from my first year of ACE was praying a Rosary with my 9th grade students on Holy Thursday. Each 'Hail Mary' was dedicated to a student in our class, and the students were sweet enough to add an extra Hail Mary for me.

HometownJohn Zepf

Bedford, NY

Undergraduate Institution

Xavier University

Undergraduate Studies

Major: History

Minor: Secondary Education

If you had to pick one word to describe your ACE experience thus far, what would it be? Why?

Fulfilling. ACE is so much more than just developing yourself as a teacher. ACE's emphasis on community, spirituality, and developing rapport with students has made my experience more fruitful than I could have imagined.

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