Academic Coach Spotlight

Academic Coach Spotlight: Bethany Shield 

by Jenn Schultz

Our Academic Coaches are on the front line of so much that we do here at ACES: chaperoning field trips, building relationships with our youth, lesson planning, and making math and social-emotional connections while delivering our curriculum. Their hard work and dedication are instrumental in our success, so we want to ensure their commitment is recognized and shared through spotlights like these!

Bethany Shield joins ACES this year as one of our summer program Academic Coaches at Eastside Boys & Girls Club. She is currently heading into her junior year at North Central University, majoring in Math. Bethany is an athlete herself and enjoys working with youth because they don’t filter who they are like adults often do. They’re unapologetically themselves and aren’t afraid to say, “This is who I am!” She also recognizes that kids are still learning who they are and who they want to be, which allows her to make a real impact in their lives.

Bethany first learned of ACES through a social media post from one of our partners, the Minnesota Timberwolves and Lynx. She was intrigued by the name Athletes Committed to Educating Students and felt an immediate connection as an athlete herself. She reached out by email to a member of our organization and quickly felt it would be a great fit for both of us! Bethany loves kids and is focused on math – two of our most cherished values at ACES.

In the future, Bethany dreams of building a nonprofit basketball club where kids of all backgrounds have equal opportunity for future success! She envisions it as an AAU-style club with no fees, and it would provide students mentorship and homework help off the court. Visions and values like these make Bethany such an asset to our organization and our students!

Bethany’s Stats
Hometown: Lincoln, Nebraska
College: North Central University
Major: Math
Favorite Sport: Basketball
Favorite Subjects: Reading and Math

Want to be an Academic Coach? We’re hiring for the 2019-2020 school year! Apply today at https://aces4kids.org/apply-now.