Giving Tuesday – Archway Cicero

Great Hearts graduates return to the classroom to give back to the program that once gave them so much.

Scottsdale Prep graduating classmates Lydia Yuke and Amy Zhou took very different paths after graduating in 2019, but both found themselves drawn to teaching at Archway Cicero because of the feeling of community at Great Hearts, and their shared love of learning. This year, both ladies have joined the faculty at Archway Cicero, as assistant teachers, with aspirations to continue their careers within education. Coincidentally, another friend and classmate, is currently teaching at Archway Scottsdale.

Lydia and Amy both graduated from Scottsdale Prep, a Great Hearts Academy. Lydia started in 5th grade at Scottsdale Prep, and Amy joined Scottsdale Prep in 9th grade. Both ladies enjoyed the focus on cultivating a love of learning through the curriculum, with limited distractions, such as pop culture. They both appreciated the close relationships they were able to build with their teachers and that the program encouraged them to be open minded, but to also to develop and speak up about their own opinions within the Socratically taught classes.

Lydia entered Barret the Honors College at Arizona State University, majoring in Biomedical Sciences. Ultimately, graduating from ASU with a degree in Kinesiology, she credits her time as a Physical Therapy Tech with bringing her back to Great Hearts. Initially tentative about the fact that she kept being assigned to work with the youngest patients, Lydia eventually found that she loved their curiosity and their never-ending questions. It reminded her of her time as a Great Hearts student as she attempted to emulate the patience and enthusiasm of her teachers. Finding herself drawn to become a teacher, to work with even more children, and fulfill their endless thirst for knowledge, she contacted Great Hearts to enquire about career opportunities.

Lydia’s goal is to become a lead teacher at Archway Cicero, perhaps in a higher grade, such as 4th or 5th. Lydia hopes to draw from the best attributes of her favorite teachers, who she says were ‘tough but fair’, She remembers the teachers who taught her a great work ethic and built strong relationships gave her the skills to be successful. Their ability to deliver both positive and negative feedback in a way that motivated her when things got tough, is what she hopes to bring to her own classroom.

Amy credits the Great Hearts curriculum with her appreciation of Wester Tradition, allowing her to reconcile being an Asian American immigrant, living in Western Society. Attending Yale and influenced by the lively discussions in her Humane Letters class, she majored in Political Science. She loved the Humanities classes that she was able to attend and recognizes that the Humane Letters class was key to her success in college. ‘All of the great books that we read at Yale; I had already read at Great Hearts’. During her time at Yale, she intended to attend law school. She interned for Senator Mark Kelly and worked on several campus leadership campaigns. Eventually, she realized that her greatest opportunity to create a positive impact, was in education. ‘Students need to be taught about society, and how to be independent thinkers, so that they can be educated voters.’

Amy’s next endeavor will be as a Shoresman Scholar, which is a one-year master’s program in Beijing, focusing on Global Affairs. She intends to return to Arizona to continue to work to develop educational policy either within Great Hearts leadership or at the state level, advocating for charter schools.

Both Lydia and Amy are proof that the Great Hearts goal of creating Lifelong Learners, is working. Both of these extraordinary young women have chosen to give back to the program that once gave them so much. The love of learning that they received from their teachers influenced not only their success in college, but also their career goals, as they continue to ‘pay it forward’ to the Archway Cicero community.

This Giving Tuesday, we applaud the Amy Zhou and Lydia Yuke for all they give to Archway Cicero every day! Will you join us in our efforts to give back and raise $15,000 today to support Archway Cicero? By joining the movement, you are ensuring our classrooms continue to provide a tuition-free private school caliber education in a public-school setting. Click here to Donate to Archway Cicero Community Investment. #GivingTuesday