Hanna Morgan ’22


KIPP Texas Public Schools, Houston, TX

This summer, I interned with the Leadership Development Team at KIPP Texas Public Schools. KIPP Texas is a network of charter schools that aims to provide quality education to majority underserved, economically disadvantaged children. The Leadership Development team focuses on training school leaders and building accessible and equitable career pathways for folks who want to have leadership roles in the organization. Most of my work this summer was with my supervisor, Pegah Taylor, who is the Senior Director of Leadership Development. Pegah leads the Principal in Residence (PIR) program, a two-year program which provides PIRs with the resources, experience, and advisement they need to advance to a school leader position.

At my desk.

One of my first projects was updating and familiarizing myself with the developmental roadmap, a document that contains the sequence of the PIR program and defines each skill that PIRs will learn. I also helped Pegah create an internal website where resources can be shared. These projects prepared me for PIR Orientation, where I was able to meet and participate in activities with all of the PIRs. At orientation, I heard the personal leadership stories of many PIRs and was very moved by the power held in these stories. My main project after orientation was creating individual workbooks for each PIR that will be used and depended on throughout the year. I was able to make many creative choices in my various projects, and my supervisor encouraged me to think outside the box and lean into my intuitions in all of my work.

Over the course of my internship, I learned a lot not only about the possible routes I might take in the field of education, but also about myself. It was incredibly beneficial for me to get a behind the scenes look at school leadership and all of the moving pieces in an organization like KIPP. My supervisor included me in many different meetings, which gave me the opportunity to meet with several leaders and directors in KIPP Texas and experience different facets of the organization. Before this internship, I didn’t realize the true extent of diverse careers in education. Getting to know so many leaders made me realize that I would enjoy holding a leadership position as well. I also feel that I have made lasting personal friendships with my mentor and others I had the chance to work with, and I am excited to continue to benefit from these connections. My mentor expressed gratitude for the equity lens that I brought to many conversations, and I learned to lean into my instincts more when it comes to voicing my opinions. I really loved the emphasis on showing gratitude for each other within the KIPP team, and I will certainly carry that with me moving forward.

Overall, I really loved my experience interning with KIPP Texas and I am looking forward to continuing my work with them throughout the school year. I am incredibly grateful to the ’68 Center for Career Exploration and to Jeffrey Hines ’77 for this amazing experience.