Howard to Harvard
Hustlin’ Tiger graduate shares how foundation changed her life at 30th anniversary luncheon
“My success was made possible by my parents, hardworking educators and life-changing PEF initiatives that enabled me to tap into and realize my full potential.” – DAPHNE PENN
Daphne Penn graduated from Howard High School in 2004. Since then, the Hustlin Tiger alumna has earned degrees at Vanderbilt University, Purdue University and is now pursuing her doctorate as a Ford Foundation Fellow at Harvard University.
Penn doesn’t attribute her success to just her own hard work, though. Instead, she attributes it to the individuals and organizations, such as the Public Education Fountain of Chattanooga, that helped her along the way.
“When I reflect on my journey from Howard to Harvard, it’s not solely about my aptitude and my hard work, it is also a story about what happens when a bright student is provided with the tools and opportunities
to exceed others’ and their own expectations,” Penn said Wednesday at the foundation’s annual luncheon, this year marking its 30th anniversary. “My success was made possible by my parents, hardworking educators and life-changing PEF initiatives that enabled me to tap into and realize my full potential.”
Initiatives like the Passport Scholars program that sends high-achieving high school girls to travel and study at universities across the country during summer breaks, Camp College that prepares rising seniors for life after high school and even programs that benefited the educators who engaged with Penn, such as the Leadership Fellows and the Principal Leadership Academy, are the hallmarks of the PEF’s success for the past 30 years.
The organization, founded in 1989, has grown to be one of the biggest partners and advocates of public education in the region. Through private donations, grants and foundation funding, it focuses on providing programming and supporting initiatives that fall under four focus areas — college and career access, innovation, school leadership and teacher leadership — every year.
“Every single day in public schools, the mission impossible is to make sure that every child gets the kind of education we would wish for our own children,” said Edna Varner, senior adviser for leading and learning at the foundation. “We believe that every child should have access to that. … That’s why, when the Public Education Foundation was established, the idea wasn’t ‘Please contribute so we can support a few things,’ it was about supporting bold ideas.”
PEF is one of the founding members of Chattanooga 2.0, the community’s landmark education initiative uniting nonprofits, businesses and other organizations to strengthen local education, and works closely with the Hamilton County school district, as well as other districts in the region such as Bradley County Schools and Cleveland City Schools.
“There’s nothing more important to our future than our public schools,” said President Dan Challener. “In some ways, over the last 30 years you can say, PEF has gone from stocking libraries to creating [digital fabrication labs]. But in truth, we think our most important work is not in donating stuff, but rather making investments into the knowledge and experiences of principals, teachers and students.”
Other programs PEF has launched include the Project Inspire teaching residency; the Teachpreneur program that connects classroom teachers with funding for innovative ideas; and fellowship cohorts focused on leadership, policy and STEM.
The opportunities that PEF provides to students, teachers and school leaders, Penn said are vital for giving students opportunities to tap into their potential.
“Another reason why I reject the narrative that my success is solely the result of my extraordinary intellect is because it obscures an important fact. Ability is evenly disrupted in the population, but opportunity is not … and ability minus support minus opportunity equals unrealized potential,” Penn said. “Hamilton County, the Opportunity Zone and Howard are filled with potential, there are so many students who have the aptitude but simply need someone to offer them the opportunity to stretch and grow.”