As a 14-year-old Chinese immigrant,  Shuk-Kuen Chiu enrolled in D.C. Public Schools at Jefferson Junior High School and then Bell Multicultural High School (now Columbia Heights Education Campus). “While in school, I learned from my teachers how education could change my life. They guided me through my language barriers, they taught me how to read and write, and they helped me realize my potential.” As a result, when she graduated from high school, Ms. Chiu knew that she wanted to be like them—a teacher that could give back. Today, as a middle school math teacher at Columbia Heights Education Campus, Ms. Chiu is committed to being present for her students. She appreciates that though her students come from diverse backgrounds, they are highly motivated and willing to welcome her into their world. “At our school,” she exclaims, “racial or cultural background is not a barrier, but is something to be embraced and celebrated.”

Ms. Chiu brings a sense of urgency into her classroom, and is transparent with her students’ data to set goals that hold parents, students, and herself accountable. Her principal exclaims, “Through her excellent instruction, bringing math alive, and her nurturing approach to students, she has accomplished great things.” Ms. Chiu’s students’ performance has improved in each of the past five years. Last year, 72 percent of her sixth grade students were proficient and advanced in math on the DC CAS, a 40 percent increase since 2010.  Her students also won first place in the citywide math quiz bowl. Ms. Chiu insists that what she really loves is to watch her students grow. “I have now seen two of my middle school classes graduate high school,” she says. “It is something that warms my heart and makes me want to keep going every day.”