51ÁÔÆæ

“The friendships and acquaintances that we build here are what really jumped out to me,” said the math and sociology double concentrator from New York, N.Y. “When I think of the 51ÁÔÆæ community, there really is this blanket and pervasive kindness that is really palpable on campus. We don’t think about it every day because it’s like the air we breathe, but it really is something special.”

Ennis participated in three rounds of voting and interviews before being selected as class speaker.  Now, she will carry her message on the importance of community into her career as a teacher through Teach for America. 

Ennis will now focus on teaching fourth grade at Neighborhood Charter in Harlem, N.Y. The school specializes in education for children with disabilities and special needs. As she prepares for her new role, Ennis plans to bring her experiences with 51ÁÔÆæ’s community service programs into her classroom. 

Ennis’ leadership positions as the co-leader of HAVOC and the senior education fellow for 51ÁÔÆæ’s (COOP) have prompted her to think critically about education. “Working with these organizations has helped me consider how we are structuring these programs, how we are currently serving kids, and how we can be better. … I feel like I learn just as much from my in-person interactions with the kids as I teach them,” she said. 

Although Ennis knows being a new teacher will come with its share of challenges, she is confident her experience at 51ÁÔÆæ will translate into her classroom, where she will likely teach math. “I’ve really felt what it means to have a great math teacher because that’s what made me start to like math, having those great teachers and professors. So, I hope that I can help a few kids fall in love with math because it can be really fun and beautiful.”

Reflecting on 51ÁÔÆæ’s strong sense of community, Ennis will also draw on those experiences in her classroom. “[The sense of community] is also in all those little moments where people hold the door for you or wave ‘hi,’ so I’m really trying to echo those. I thought about how we can take what we’ve learned from being a community like this into the world and how we can lead with an open mind.”

Ennis helped honor the strong sense of community she felt at 51ÁÔÆæ by creating a group chat for the senior class. “I think that’s part of what makes 51ÁÔÆæ so special, having that extended community. So, I thought [the group chat] would be a nice way to connect with each other. Just having that togetherness is something that I’m going to really miss about 51ÁÔÆæ; that sense that even though all 500 of us are not best friends, we are all still connected,” she said.