CityStep Spotlight: Alumni Lily Kravetz & Alec Josiah

PC: Isabel Zapata

Today we’d like to feature Lily Kravetz and Alec Josiah (P’17), the 2016-17 Executive Directors of CityStep Penn. The two worked together to lead the company as a dynamic duo—interfacing with partner schools and classrooms, cultivating a supportive company culture, and doing any and everything else needed to make the company thrive. “We wanted to set a culture of openness. Being diverse in race, gender, sexuality, and interests creates this culture where we’re constantly learning from and supporting each other,” says Alec.

For both, CityStep sparked a passion for education. “It confirmed that teaching is what I want to do with my life. It also allowed me to see how I am when I love and care about something. It showed me how I act and think when I’m really happy in an environment,” says Lily. For Alec, “CityStep was the stepping stone to me wanting to work in education and address the inequity in education and think about it in a different way. Children have needs that need to be addressed before learning can actually occur, so I’ve realized how important it is for students to feel valued and listened to, to have a space where they can truly express themselves.”

Lily and Alec are both embarking on their first years as teachers. Lily, a lead science teacher at Success Academy Charter Schools in Brooklyn, New York. Alec, a lead preschool teacher in Chicago, IL (and TFA corps member) working towards his Masters in Early Childhood Education. This is just the beginning for these movers and shakers. We can’t wait to see how their journey unfolds.