Teaching with Purpose: Stories from MTI Scholars—Yajayra Juarez

The Minority Teachers of Illinois (MTI) Scholarship isn’t just about financial support, it’s about building a future where every student sees themselves reflected in their educators. Across Illinois, MTI recipients are shaping classrooms, inspiring young minds, and making a lasting impact on their communities.

In this blog series, we’re highlighting the journeys of MTI scholars: how the scholarship has supported them, the challenges they’ve overcome, and the successes they’re achieving in classrooms across the state. Their stories underscore why programs like MTI are vital to ensuring a strong, diverse teacher workforce in Illinois. By elevating these voices, we hope to shed light on the power of representation in education and the role that dedicated, diverse educators play in student success. Through their experiences, we see firsthand how equitable access to the teaching profession strengthens schools, enriches learning, and transforms lives.

Hear from Yajayra Juarez, Student at DePaul University.

What inspired you to become a teacher? What subject or grade level do you work with? 

Ever since I was a little girl, I knew I wanted to be an educator. Growing up with educators who cared about me and what they taught me reinforced why I wanted to be like them. My role model is my mom and my eighth-grade algebra teacher, Ms. Laura Copp. My mom being a teacher herself, made me see the dedication and the passion she had for kids, which she instilled in me.  
 
My other role model is Ms. Copp. She knew I struggled with math but had so much patience with me, and instead of diminishing my skills she strengthened them. I disliked math, however Ms. Copp found ways to engage students like me in her classes. She formed a connection and built relationships with her students. Just like Ms. Copp, I want to create a safe environment for students to learn in. I want to be the difference in students’ lives, just like how Ms. Copp was in mine.  
 
Overall, I was raised by amazing teacher role models, and I want to be the change in students’ lives. I want students to see themselves in me and have someone who they can look up to. Especially, being a first-generation Latina college graduate myself; I want to impact first-generation students from low-income neighborhoods like the one I grew up in and give back to my community. 
 
At the moment I am doing my student-teaching at Solorio High School, teaching 9th-12th grade levels. 

Are there barriers that you recognize or experienced to becoming a teacher? 

One of the barriers to teaching is facing imposter syndrome. Being a first-generation professional can be tough with navigating the profession alone, pressure to succeed, feeling like I don't belong as a teacher because I did not see anyone who looked like me and struggling with self-advocacy. Another factor that I recognized was a barrier to becoming a teacher was being a young teacher with less experience than someone who is a veteran teacher. The lack of experience can also tie into factors like feeling like not having enough classroom management skills. Something else is not being taken seriously by colleagues, parents, and even students, so there is a question of authority and expertise due to my age. Lastly, the financial aspect of saving up money and budgeting was also another factor that I experienced while becoming a teacher, but I was able to learn from these barriers going forward into my teaching career. 

How have you used the MTI scholarship to assist you on your path to becoming an educator? 

As being a first-generation Latina from a low-income family this scholarship has helped me in a variety of ways by providing financial assistance to ease my financial burden of paying tuition, books and school fees, so that I can focus on coursework and student teaching instead of worrying about how I will pay these things. Thanks to this scholarship, it will allow me to complete my education with a focus in special education and commit to serving high-need communities in the state of Illinois with diverse and underserved students. I was once in the same shoes as those students and I want to make sure that I become a role model for them, especially students who come from the same background as me. Overall, the MTI scholarship has impacted me on becoming a better educator and has made a meaningful impact financially, professionally and mentally. 

How did you learn about the MTI scholarship? 

Another MTI Recipient