Alumni and Friends Making an Impact

For Daniel McNicholas ’15, the “Learn. Lead. Serve.” experience at UD greatly influenced how he conducts himself as a public school teacher.

Since leaving campus in the spring of 2015, McNicholas has grown as an educator and lifelong learner. He has learned to be a better educator through multiple national and local professional development conferences and his master’s coursework toward becoming endorsed as an English as a second language teacher.

“This past summer, when I was unable to attend in-person events, I joined a virtual professional learning group called Crushing it for Kids hosted by Monica Genta, a local educator and author in Illinois,” said McNicholas. “By actively choosing to be involved in the school community, I have learned a great deal from my students and their families. I have learned how to approach situations with what is best for the student at the forefront of decision-making, even more so this past year and a half during COVID. Most importantly, I have learned to ensure that my classroom is a safe space for all of my students and work to ensure that they are represented through the curricular resources and school community experiences as a member of our learning community.”

Growing as a leader is something he is committed to, and it played a key role in his decision to pursue his new position where he still leads in the classroom but also serves and leads as the English department lead teacher. In this position, he directs a department of about 30 middle school educators to guide the curricular and equity goals of their school district.

McNicholas has also pursued leadership opportunities through conferences, appointed activities and by creating new programs to engage the professional development of his colleagues.

“In my new role, I lead a variety of community literacy initiatives such as family academies to engage parents in their students’ education,” said McNicholas. “And I started a summer book club for educators. The focus of the club is to better understand and improve race relations and equity in our classrooms.”

By acting as a servant leader within his school district and by engaging in activities to support equity in his local Chicago community, he instills a spirit of service in his students. Some of the activities and roles he’s already tackled include serving as a mentor teacher and representing newer educators in the second largest teacher’s union in the U.S. (Illinois Federation of Teachers), He’s also an adviser for several student groups including Student Council, Gay-Straight Alliance, the school newspaper, 8^th Grade Party, Couch to 5K, and the After School Book Club, and he serves on the associate board of Chicago House, an organization dedicated to supporting individuals impacted by HIV/AIDS with housing, employment and health care services.

While on campus at UD, McNicholas was most influenced by Connie Mathes, a clinical faculty member in the School of Education and Health Sciences.

“Professor Mathes taught in a manner that fully prepared me for the start of my career as an educator. She believes in her students, pushes them and guides them to success. Professor Mathes saw the potential in my abilities and allowed me to see that potential for myself. I am forever grateful for her guidance and mentorship.”