威尼斯人娱乐城最近的校友Genesis Ventura Amaro是城市教育研究所（拜访）的学者，他致力于在历史上服务不足的学校任教。 她在毕业前就获得了米尔肯明日教师领袖奖，这使她成为密苏里州仅有的13名获奖者之一。
The 米尔肯明日教师领袖奖 is a recent establishment from the Missouri branch of the Milken Educator Awards program to celebrate and encourage pre-service teachers enrolled in Missouri’s public Educator Preparation Programs. 今年，一位堪萨斯城地区的学生教师荣幸地获得了这个奖项。
阿玛罗六年前从多米尼加共和国移民到美国后，决定成为一名教育工作者。
Amaro attended 威尼斯人娱乐城 to study 幼儿教育 and was an 拜访 scholar. 这意味着Amaro接受了更多的培训，重点是在城市学校教学，并获得了奖学金，以支持她成为一名教师； as an 拜访 scholar Amaro is committed to teaching in Kansas City’s urban schools for four years after graduation.
“I loved being a Roo and I am sad that my time at 威尼斯人娱乐城 is over,” she said. “I really valued how much people wanted me to succeed at 威尼斯人娱乐城. 作为拜访的一员，我可以用一种不同的、更敏感的视角来看待我所处的空间。 与我的同龄人，我在KC市区任教的学校，甚至任何愿意让我谈论文化响应教学和恢复实践重要性的人进行讨论。 All of this I have learned through the 拜访 seminars.”
Amaro’s professor and mentor Jennifer Fergerson nominated her for the 米尔肯明日教师领袖奖.
“Gen has been a really strong student teacher and has thrived as an educator since she began,” Fergerson said. “She truly embodies what an educator is, and it shows in the classroom. It’s really easy to forget that she is student teaching, since she develops skills so quickly and teaches as someone with much more experience than she actually has.”
当阿马罗被提名为获奖者时，弗格森并不感到惊讶。
“I was really proud of her when she won,” Fergerson said. “Especially because right before I found out, Gen was having a conversation with me about how much she loves what she does. 真是太合适了。 She truly deserves this recognition.”
However, it was a big surprise to Amaro since she didn’t even know she was nominated.
“I feel so honored to be a recipient of the award,” Amaro said. “As a student teacher, my focus has always been on what I could do better, so noticing what I am doing well can be challenging at times. It is very rewarding to know that my hard work is being noticed and acknowledged by others as well.”
Amaro在综合艺术学院特许学校（AFIA）实习了一年，完成了她的学生教学，这也是她获得惊喜奖的地方。
米尔肯未来教师领袖奖的获得者不仅获得了备受尊敬的同行教育工作者的独家网络，而且在他们在课堂上的第一年也将得到积极的支持。 每位获奖者将与一位经验丰富的米尔肯教育家配对，他是一位经验丰富的教师，作为导师。 导师将为新教育者提供一个安全的空间，让他们提出问题、分享想法并获得指导。
“I’m inspired to become a teacher that students can relate to and connect deeply with,” Amaro said. “Even if I can’t change the teaching world, I can change the lives of individual children. I know how important early childhood is, and I am thankful to be blessed with the opportunity of being trusted with so many little minds and hearts to take care of.”