Ms. McKenzie, Hope’s Learning Specialist

We are excited to have Dionne McKenzie in the role of Learning Specialist this year! Ms. McKenzie brings a wealth of experience to the table. With a Masters in Teaching and love for education, she has experience homeschooling her own children, as well as working in both private and public school settings as an Intervention Specialist.

“I come to the students here from a unique perspective,” Ms. McKenzie says. “I look at education not in a building, not in a book, but with life. With any learners – adults or kids – I like to focus on what we know and what we don’t know, and go from there. We’re all growing and learning.”

Ms. McKenzie will step in to help create a learning plan for any student looking for assistance. Whether experiencing difficulties because of a gap in knowledge, not being challenged enough, or any other academic need, Ms. McKenzie will support each student with compassionate care. Since childhood, Ms. McKenzie has been observant and solutions-oriented. Whether socially or academically, she recalls noticing differences in people’s skills even as a young girl. She believes this is one of her strengths that God will use in this role. “God has always been speaking or showing us specific things about ourselves, so I think teaching and working as a learning specialist has been a path he put right before me,” Ms. McKenzie says.

After teaching English last year and running Saturday school, Ms. McKenzie has built good rapport with students. As a warm and approachable individual, she is skilled at helping others feel at ease and supported. Ms. McKenzie looks forward to working with students, families, and teachers, to help each student succeed.