Ashley Ayeni was born in Brooklyn and moved to Atlanta, Georgia before starting elementary school. As a first-generation Nigerian American, the importance of education was imprinted on her at a very early age. Ashley attended the University of Georgia where she majored in fashion merchandising, with an emphasis on global sourcing. Ashley always loved kids and even considered studying pediatrics then realized she was more comfortable in the classroom. Her first experiences teaching were rather accidental. As an undergraduate student, she found work at various after-school programs as an elementary school mentor and tutor. She was able to observe elementary teachers and classrooms during the school day, and during dismissal. During those four years, she partnered with families, principals and education professionals to help them best serve students throughout Athens, Georgia. Driven by opportunities to create equitable opportunities and resources for underserved populations, Ashley found her true passion was fostering academic and personal growth for students.

These experiences directly prompted her to serve in the United States Peace Corps upon graduation. Ashley served in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines as a literacy specialist and worked with the Ministry of Education to promote literacy and advanced learning throughout the island. While fulfilling various roles of a Peace Corps volunteer, Ashley again had the opportunity to serve as a mentor and tutor in an afterschool program. She observed that the boys were dominant, and the girls tended to shy away from interactions and opportunities in the program for ages 8 to 12. Ms. Ayeni’s most notable achievement came in the form of founding an all-girl afterschool program “One of a Kind Girl” to help combat prevalent issues of low self-esteem and poor academic performance amongst youth in the community. Unfortunately, about a third of the way through her original service commitment, the islands were simultaneously struck by both the COVID-19 pandemic and a volcanic eruption in the spring of 2021. For the first time in its history, all Peace Corps volunteers were recalled home. Since returning, Ashley has learned that the program she founded is beginning to rebuild.

Ashley discovered the TC Peace Corps Fellows Program as she was browsing through the Coverdell Fellowship Partners website. After connecting with an alumna of the program, Ashley realized it would be a good fit and completed her application immediately just two weeks before the deadline. She is now enrolled in the TC Social Studies Education program and expects to complete her studies by May 2023. In a recent class, she learned that some of the intuitive approaches she had taken with special needs students are supported by theories and practices in the field.

Ms. Ayeni is a life-long learner and student-based educator who wants to maintain a vibrant space for students in her class by putting them in the driver’s seat of their own learning. Going forward, she hopes to get involved with educational policy after teaching social studies in New York City.