Singer hails from a long line of proud North Carolinians and would gladly extol her love for the Old North State: any time, day or night. Originally raised on the Outer Banks, Singer moved to Mooresville, N.C.—“Race City, USA” as it’s affectionately known by locals—to complete high school, then attended UNC-Chapel Hill to study political science and public policy. Upon graduation, Singer moved to California to enter the world of ed reform as a policy intern with StudentsFirst.
There, Singer first learned about 50CAN and the complex political challenges that face the school reform movement. Yearning to get smart on the ins-and-outs of education policy, Singer migrated back east to intern with the Thomas B. Fordham Institute. There she helped the research team investigate and better understand the pressing issues of today’s public school system. And now, at 50CAN, she hopes to build upon that foundation and contribute to the change she hopes to see in the (education) world.
When not working at 50CAN or making cheesy Ghandi references, Singer likes to Google pictures of golden retriever puppies (since she can’t have one herself) and hang around the library.
I aspire to be like Chris Hadfield. Here’s why
Chris Hadfield, former commander of the International Space Station and recent author of An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth (and the coolest Twitter account this side of the moon), is the man.
No, really.
If you ever dreamt of being an astronaut when you were younger, Chris is who you dreamt of being. Not only was he the first Canadian to walk in space, but also the first astronaut to host Google Hangouts from space. What I love most is that Chris overcame the next-to-nothing odds of becoming an astronaut and then went on to become our generation’s Neil Armstrong. Moreover, he accomplished his out-of-this-world goals with incredible humility and the desire to share his experiences with the world. That’s why I aspire to be like Chris Hadfield, whose drive to achieve, commitment to ingenuity and passion for the art of dreaming is something I strive to mirror in every aspect of life.
I get to connect the dots of all the inspiring work that 50CANers across the country accomplish every day. Even better: I get to be part of that work myself!
I went to public school all my life and couldn’t be prouder of the education I received. My dream is to help every child feel this way.
Remembering names. You’d think that being named after a sewing machine would mean that I have some innate mnemonic ability, but it did not. Please accept my apology in advance for when I ask your name a fourth or fifth time—I promise, I’ll remember everything else about you!
Schoolhouse Rock’s “How a Bill Becomes a Law” was my favorite video to watch whenever we had a substitute teach in school. And to this day I remember the optimism with which the cartoon represents lawmaking . Improving the public education system can be downright frustrating at times—but it doesn’t have to be, as Bill’s ballad reminds us. I work at 50cAN so I can help make learning as fun and inspiring for every child as Schoolhouse Rock made it for me.